The Brooklyn head coach has watched Nolan Traore grow, including reacting to his first-ever double-double outing.
Yes, Jordi Fernandez believed "everyone was a part of the win" with the Brooklyn Nets stunning the Chicago Bulls on Monday.
Yet the 123-115 upset inside the Barclays Center would've never been made possible without a distributor playing with control on the floor.
That distributor became Nolan Traore -- who needed to step up with Michael Porter Jr. and Egor Demin sidelined.
The first-year player has flashed his potential on a nightly basis. However, Brooklyn's 15th victory of the season witnessed new accolades from Traore: 13 points, 13 assists...now a career-first double-double.
"He was outstanding. Thirteen assists to three turnovers [is elite],” Fernandez began in reacting to Traore's big night via the YES Network.
From the head coach's eyes, how was Traore able to see then attack on the floor?
“He touched the paint constantly," Fernandez noticed. "Speed is a factor, but he was always under control."
The latter statement is huge involving the first-year player. Traore landed on NBA Draft boards through his speed on dribbling.
However, he needed to play with more control of the basketball and limit losing the ball via turnovers. He's already produced two four-turnover games in February.
Fernandez, though, watched a rookie who took better care of the basketball against Chicago.
"He kept his dribble alive and made the right play over and over," Fernandez said. "His teammates benefited from it. That’s part of development, and we’ve got to keep growing and keep getting better.”
Fernandez notices a facilitator who's learning to allow the game to slow down for him.
"Before, everything was rushed and [he was] trying to go too fast,” Fernandez said. “Now, he can go from fast to slow, and from slow to fast. You see how well he's playing and how confident he is playing."
Fernandez concluded with: "I trust him. On defense, he fights. That's good to see. We’re going to keep seeing his growth.”
The French born player himself has started to realize how the American game is slowing down more for him. Plus acknowledged one aspect of this style of basketball that's benefitting him even more.
"I have more spacing in the NBA and you have good shooters," Traore said postgame via the YES Network. "It's easier for me with my speed to take advantage of that."
Traore is now third in assists per 100 possessions among rookies during the last six games.
Join the Community! Don't miss out on our NETS ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news! It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected.