Thoughts on Nolan Traore in a Basketball Champions League Game Against Kolossos

January 10th, 2025

I decided to take the time to watch Saint-Quentin’s 6-4 point guard Nolan Traore play in a December 11th, Basketball Champions League game against Kolossos, as I was able to watch this on WatchESPN. Traore is a very athletic playmaker that has a good set of tools and court vision, and he’s currently rated by some draft analysts as a possible lottery pick for the 2025 draft. He’s struggled with his jump shot, but he’s also quite experienced at playing in high-level international basketball leagues for a player his age. Here are my thoughts on how he fared in this game, as well as how his game may stack up as a prospect for the NBA. Also, for those that are interested in the box score of this game, here is the link, courtesy of Basketball Champions League.

Saint-Quentin’s 6-4 French point guard, Nolan Traore scored 14 points, and had 4 assists and 2 rebounds in his team’s 86-75 win over Kolossos on December 11th.
(Photo: FIBA, via Basket Europe)

Nolan Traore had a solid showing in his team’s win over Kolossos. He is a speedy, fleet-footed point guard that excels as a downhill driver and has good court sense, and he has quick feet to defend at the point of attack.

Traore showed a good ability to score off the dribble. He has a quick first step, and he can blow by defenders as the pick-and-roll ball handler to consistently score around the basket. He also has the foot speed, balance, and body control to draw fouls to frequently get to the free throw line. Sometimes though, he would take tough, contested shots, which would lead to some misses when he wouldn’t get foul calls.

Also, he showed an adequate ability to knock down outside shots. Traore was able to get the ball on a dribble handoff, as he ran quickly off of a ball screen, and made a three swiftly off the catch. On the other hand, he didn’t shoot nearly as well when pulling up from the outside, and sometimes he wouldn’t always set his feet.

He also displayed good playmaking skills. Traore excelled at making passes off the dribble, and he did a great job of finding teammates on the move. He shoorce misses.wed a knack for making timely passes. On the downside, there was one play where he dribbled near the sideline and was double-teamed, but despite trying to make a skip pass out, he ended up stepping out of bounds.

In this game, he was able to chase down balls to get a pair of defensive rebounds, which enabled him to push the ball up the court afterwards. He also played solid defense. He showed quick, active feet, as he can defend opponents off the dribble and quickly contest outside shots to force misses.

In general, Traore played well in his team’s win over Kolossos. He is a solid prospect that could develop into a solid starting point guard at the NBA level if he can develop a consistent outside shot. Right now, he’ll need to continue to improve his jumper and will need to add more muscle to his frame, but his ability to make plays on both ends of the court makes him a solid bet to go in the late lottery to the mid first round range in the 2025 draft, and in a favorable scenario, he could end up being a solid player similar to former Milwaukee Bucks’ point guard, Eric Bledsoe in the NBA.