Nolan Traore's Role Expected to Expand as Egor Demin Sidelined
Demin will miss at least a week with a bone bruise, opening more opportunities for Traore and other drafted players.
Nolan Traore is likely to see increased playing time for the Nets following the announcement that Egor Demin will be sidelined for at least a week due to a right leg bone bruise. Demin suffered the injury during Tuesday's overtime loss to the Celtics and will be re-evaluated next week.
Coach Jordi Fernández indicated that Demin's injury is not expected to be long-term. However, his absence will provide a larger role for Traore, one of the Nets' two highest draft picks from the previous year. Traore made his first start of the season against the Celtics and impressed with his speed, a trait described by teammate Day'Ron Sharpe as his "biggest threat."
The Nets, who drafted five players in the first round last year, announced Thursday that they have exercised the third-year options on all of them, including Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf.
"We brought them in for a reason,'' Fernández said. "We believe every single one of them has a future in this league. Everyone has different paths to get there and that’s OK. I think it shows we believe in the process."
Powell is listed as questionable for Friday's game due to a G-League assignment, while Saraf is out with a similar assignment. Sharpe, meanwhile, is averaging a career-high 21.5 minutes per game but also accumulating 3.8 fouls per contest, higher than his previous average. He acknowledged the need to control his physicality to avoid foul trouble while still playing with impact and purpose.