Ali Traore quietly put up one of the more dominant performances here at the camp, averaging 14.7 points per game on .704 shooting, going to quick work in the post when he got the ball, showing a nice array of simplistic, effective moves combined with great strength and pretty decent size at 610, with a 75 wingspan, something he didnt really stand out with here. His performance reminded a lot of
Kenny Adelekes last season in regards to his post scoring, primarily because Traore didnt show much in the athleticism department, but its been learned that Traore suffered from a foot injury and has only been working out again for the past few weeks, so he may not be fully up to speed just yet. Taking a look at his profile picture as compared to what we saw here, its very clear that Traore has put on a lot of weight, and was not playing at his ideal build here. Traore didnt look overweight by any means, but if he could play at a slimmer size like he was in that picture, he could improve on his speed and maneuverability in the post, making him a more versatile scorer.
There are some other concerns about Traore as well, most notably that he averaged just 3.3 rebounds per game in his three games here. For a player of his size and strength, thats extremely concerning, and something he will definitely need to work on to be an NBA player. Maybe it was just an aberration, but Traore has the potential to do a lot more in that aspect of the game. Traore did knock down a few spot-up shots from the 10-15 foot range, showing he can contribute more than just interior scoring, but he still could use some improvement in the other areas of his game, including defense and passing. Traore made just one assist as opposed to eight turnovers here.
Theres a pretty good chance a team takes Traore in the late second round, as he has some nice potential with a good groundwork of NBA skills, and because he can be stashed overseas while not taking up a roster spot, letting him develop there and get back into game shape without costing anything. Its really tough to say just how different a player Traore is when hes in better shape, as we dont have much to go off, but Id be pretty certain that NBA teams with late second round picks will be looking into his play pre-injury, as Traore could turn out to be a real steal somewhere down the road.
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