From the French third division to a decisive match in the European Cup as the most scrutinized player, there is only one step. Or in the case of Nolan Traorebarely ten months.
It must be said that with the young 18-year-old French leader, things often go very quickly. The dragster will experience a capital match with Saint-Quentin, one of his first high-stakes matches at club level, on the Galatasaray floor this Tuesday (6:00 p.m.), in the Champions League play-in. One more step on his clear path to the NBA.
Current seventh pick the latest “Mock Draft” from ESPNNolan Traoré will have a hard time succeeding Victor Wembanyama or Zaccharie Risacher as the third consecutive Frenchman called as first choice by Adam Silver. But there is no doubt that there too, he should not hang around too much in the “Green room”.
Arriving among the professionals on a gamble from the SQBB as a medical freelancer at the end of March 2024, he had no trouble confirming that his good dispositions at INSEP were not just a phenomenon in the youth categories.
“ We knew he would have some difficult times adapting to the team, the level and the physical dimension of the championship » says his trainer in Aisne, Julien Mahé. “ But he was superb in his learning process: match after match, he quickly learned what he could and couldn't do. »
Compared to Tony Parker…
18 points and 8 assists against ASVEL for its fifth match in Betclic Elite, 25 points against Chalon the following week, or 19.5 points and 7 assists on average in the play-off series against Villeurbanne…
The adaptation time was minimal, the expectations increased tenfold. Especially with a 45-point outing during the ANGT, a sort of U18 Euroleague, against Barcelona, before lifting INSEP to the final, his place was definitely no longer among players of his age. Enough to remind some of another young French leader with a devastating first step.
“ It has a few models, but its name speaks for itself » now believes Julien Mahé. “ It's not easy to compare him with anyone else. Here in France, we can see some flashes of Tony Parker. He reached the professional level at a very young age, he has the ability to change pace as we saw with Tony 25 years ago. That might be a good comparison, although I'm not a big fan of that because it puts a lot of pressure on his shoulders. »
Like the Spurs legend, Nolan Traoré has this rare ability to give the impression of playing at a different tempo than the rest of the players around him.
Scorer but not selfish, strong in fast play but also capable of lighting a few fuses from afar (5/8 last Saturday against Chalon in the championship) despite an improving shot, the Saint-Quentin leader has a solid background, 'even more so for a player who has barely reached adulthood. And already a French international during the November international window (he is a training partner in February) showing himself to be rather comfortable.
Like just about any young player, this highway to the NBA is not without some obstacles. Zaccharie Risacher had experienced a similar mishap at the end of winter before ending last season with a bang. From the end of October to the beginning of December, Nolan Traoré experienced his “rookie wall” with his skill at half-mast, and a defense that was not always up to par against opponents who were determined not to let him gallop.
…or to Russell Westbrook
“ When he can find that rhythm and change in tempo, he's completely unstoppable » says Julien Mahé. “ He has to find that rhythm and he likes to play fast. Sometimes you feel like he can't fully utilize his ability to come flying to the rim when facing a different type of pick-and-roll defense. »
Against Galatasaray this Tuesday, Nolan Traoré will try to repeat his previous outing during the return match, won by the SQBB 90-79 with 18 points and 6 assists from his young maestro, under the eyes of the Warriors GM Mike Dunleavand Raptors president Masai Ujiri.
18 points, 6 assists and the win for Nolan Traore forcing a decisive game 3 in the BCL play-ins vs a good Galatasaray team. Showed his tremendous vision getting to his spots with speed and pace, dishing and finishing, drawing fouls and competing defensively. pic.twitter.com/apVhjY8Job
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) January 15, 2025
And why not mark the history of the competition once again, after being the youngest player to exceed 25 points in a match with 27 points in his debut against Kolossos, a mark previously held by Alperen Sengun, the pivot of the Rockets.
The opportunity to justify the praise and flattering comparisons while Errick McCollum, older brother of CJ and opponent of Nolan Traoré with Karisyaka in the Champions League, or even Jerome Robinson, 13th choice of the 2018 Draft and teammate of the Frenchman this season at Saint-Quentin, see Russell Westbrook in the Habs.
“ He is a very strategic player » deciphers Jerome Robinson, still on the BCL website. “ He has a high basketball IQ, he reads the game well. Often he tries to put players in the right positions and all of a sudden he attacks. He can surprise you sometimes when he is at full speed to score or to look for the right pass. I played with Russell (Westbrook) in Washington. Nolan's basketball IQ, how he involves his teammates and his speed clearly form a good comparison to Russ. I like this comparison, and I even think that at his age, he shoots really well. This is the comparison that fits best.“
