Nolan Traore showed up for Nets training camp looking different. That’s because he is.
The young Brooklyn guard has grown roughly an inch and added about 10 pounds since last season, an encouraging development for one of the youngest players on the roster, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
Traore is still only 20. So, yes, apparently NBA players can still have growth spurts.
The added size could matter for a guard whose speed and playmaking have always been among his biggest strengths. A stronger frame should make it easier for Traore to absorb contact, finish around the basket and hold up defensively against bigger opponents.
Brooklyn will take all of it. Traore is returning from ankle surgery and enters camp as part of a Nets roster that is extraordinarily young and still sorting through who belongs where.
That means opportunity. It also means nothing is guaranteed. Traore arrived in the NBA as a highly regarded French prospect with intriguing offensive tools, but like most young point guards, he’ll need time to figure out how those tools translate against NBA defenders.
At least he’s starting Year 2 with a little more equipment. An extra inch. Ten extra pounds. And plenty still to prove.
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