Practice brings reality of competition for spots, minutes

The bright lights of Media Day have been dimmed. Now, as Noah Clowney said Monday, it’s all about five words: “Let the best man win.” With so much unsettled, not surprising on a team that’s still the league’s youngest, the Brooklyn Nets had their first practice Tuesday at HSS Training Center. We’re only three weeks before opening night at Barclays Center and just a week before preseason starts in Charlotte on October 6.

An eye test around the practice court revealed a number of things about the 20 players assembled in front of the Great Window, but none more than the physical appearance of some key younger players. We got somewhat of a look at their newly honed physiques Monday, but they were seated, stationery, not moving about the court.

As has been noted, no player has caught more attention than Nolan Traore, still the youngest player on the team, nearly two months younger than rookie Mikel Brown Jr. According the rosters distributed to the media Monday, he’s added an inch of height and 10 or so pounds of weight, clearly a lot of it muscle.

“He’s a year older, and maturity is important — presence, confidence, all that. And you can see him with his sleeveless, and how much [bigger he is],” Nets coach Jordi Fernández said. “It’s great. He’s put the work in. You watch him move around and play. It’s a second-year player, now he knows a little bit more about what is the NBA, and I’m excited to watch him play.”

At 6’4” in bare feet, 6’5” in sneakers, and 190 pounds, along with a 6’8” wingspan, Traore more looks the part of an NBA point guard, not the waif we saw on the court last season. And although he missed Summer League following an ankle scope, he says he’s healthy and ready to go now.

“My knee is completely fine now, so there’s no concern,” Traore told reporters. “For me, [the offseason] was more the physical aspect. Obviously the shooting, too. I worked a lot on it and I feel good now. Changed a few things, too.

“Offseason was a lot of [time in the] gym. That was the main thing. Focusing on just getting better as a player, watching clips from the playoffs or watching reads. Working on my shot, too.”

Indeed, Traore was one of several younger players who noted how they had worked with shooting coach Dave Love and others this summer. Grant Nelson, the 7-foot two way who also missed out on Summer League, said he too used his rehab time to focus on shooting mechanics.

Traore’s new found strength should help him correct a near-embarrassing stats. As Brian Lewis noted, of all NBA players who attempted at least 100 layups, his 44.4% finishing rate was dead last. He thinks the added muscle should help.

“Yeah, for sure. Now instead of going around players like I was doing, maybe I’ll go through them a little bit more, and I’ll be able to absorb contact way more than last year. So of course it’s going to help me,” said Traore, adding finishing is part muscle and part mentality. “You’ve got to have both, but it’s easier when you’re stronger.”

At one point, Traore was the fourth youngest player in the NBA and he did show some ability to score in other ways. Over the last month and a half, he averaged better than 11 points a game and looked the PG role. Now, though, he will be facing competition. Brown Jr., is the Nets highest draft pick since before they moved to Brooklyn, and will get minutes. Demin, the second highest pick in that 16 year span, will likely play not just as the wing and shooting guard but the point as well. Plus there’s Keon Ellis who was brought in to be a point-of-attack defender (and has the team’s highest career 3-point shooting percentage at 40.7%).

To paraphrase Clowney, may the best point guard win.

Fernandez, though, is happy he will have that variety of guards and thinks finishing will not be a problem.

“I think he’s a good finisher,” Fernández said. “Once again, you guys are judging a rookie going into the NBA, a 19-year-old at the time. He’s 20 now. So I don’t see any problems in his finishing.”

Who knows, he may not even be done growing. People around HSS Training Center said they have noticed changes even since he was seen shooting around in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile at the other end of the age range is Moritz “Moe” Wagner, who is third older player on the team at 29, behind only Julius Randle (31) and Terance Mann (also 29.) A veteran whose signing didn’t get a lot attention among fans, his addition did get kudos from decision-makers around the league, one calling him at “great pick-up” in part because of that veteran status, his leadership on the court as well as the locker room.

He told the media that he hopes he can help on defense, something the native of Berlin is noted for as a physical player and something the Nets were lacking last year. They have improved in the area, though, with his addition and that of Julius Randle. Can’t hurt that Traore, Demin and Ben Saraf are noticeably bigger, stronger as well.

“I’ll be honest with you, I love this. I want to be disruptive. I want to be active on the ball,” Wagner, 29, said. “I don’t think it’s a secret — I’ve been in the league eight years — I’m not a shot-blocker. I contest shots and I give it my all, but I’m not Anthony Davis. I’m not going to beat people up on the rim.

“So I like to be aggressive early, and I want to be disruptive and be able to make people speed up and take charges and stuff like that. So I’m actually extremely excited about that stuff because it plays a little more towards my strength. [Fernández] is super aggressive at the ball screen and stuff like that. We have all these quick guards, they’ll help you to eat up space. So it’s been super fun so far.”

The coach thinks Wagner will help the team’s defensive culture.

“No, the reality is we have an identity defensively and we’re going to stick with what we believe works. … Then the more you grow, the more you can expand your coverages,” Fernández said. “So we’re going to be an aggressive team on both ends of the floor.”

He will face some competition for minutes as well. The Nets frontcourt has some versatility with Michael Porter Jr., Randle, Day’Ron Sharpe, Clowney and two ways Grant Nelson and Chaney Johnson. Josh Minott while a natural 3 could find time at the 4 as well.

As he did on Monday, Wagner talked about his love of the city he will now call home.

“I’ve always loved New York. I love that I get an opportunity to play here, and at a point where this organization is trying to make the next steps to win. I’m excited to be here,” Wagner said.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in New York. This is somewhat of a home to me in America just because it reminds me a lot of where I’m from. Brooklyn is as close as it gets in the U.S. to Berlin. So I’m not necessarily new here. … I take the subway all the time. I love the subway. It’s so convenient, cheap when you go into Manhattan. So yeah, I’ve actually lived here for quite some time. So yeah, I love Brooklyn. I love New York.”

He’s also noted his brother and German national team teammate, Franz Wagner, spends time in the city, indeed the borough, as well. Could he recruit Franz Wagner, a 6’7” 25-year-old wing and one of the Magic’s top young players? He’s not saying and Franz has four years and $180 million left on his deal with Orlando.

However, in talking to his own Media Day this week, Franz admitted he’ll miss playing without his brother for the first time this year. Franz said it’s “definitely a little weird” being alone at the house in Orlando without Moe by his side.

Well, there is a way to cure that!