Armel Traore Scouting Report
An interesting international upside play
Name: Armel Traore
Birth date: January 23, 2003
Height/Weight: 6’9/210
Wingspan/ standing reach: 7’3/ N/A
Hand size: N/A
Position: Forward
Pre-Draft team: ADA Blois Basket
Tools: Feel for the game, athleticism
Background: Was recruited by power 5 schools but chose to stay in France.
Season stats: 10.7 PPG 7.1 RPG 1.5 APG 0.6 SPG 0.7 BPG 1.7 TOPG 2.3 FPG in 25 MPG on 54.5/28/65
Pros:
Athletic finisher that can explode from a standstill
Plays hard and smart; always boxes out and rotates well defensively; smart off-ball defender that can adapt to the play quickly
Strong motor that allows him to grab boards over lax opponents and outrun/outhustle defenders in transition
Cuts well and finishes above the rim off of cuts
Long and ideal frame
Cons:
Can be overly aggressive at times on both ends of the floor, leading to fouls (including an overly aggressive shoulder bump move)
Jumper needs reworking; control from guide hand is poor and hand placement may be off
Swing Skills:
How much can his jumper develop?
Is he a creator? Didn’t get many isolation or P&R ball-handler opportunities
Summary:
Traore is one of the smartest defenders in the draft, always pointing out to teammates where they need to be, and he also quickly rotates against the offense. His off-ball defense is NBA ready, replicating the speed of defenders in the NBA Playoffs.
Offensively, he makes smart plays, being able to make quick and accurate decisions while moving all speed. He also finishes plays well, particularly near the rim off of cuts, and he can create his own shot in isolation out of drives in spurts, thanks to long strides as a slasher and outstanding length to finish around defenders at the rim. He also explodes well towards the rim while keeping power (something he has to balance, because he committed too many offensive fouls by lowering his shoulder). This gives him a great trio of length, power, and athleticism to improve enough at the rim to become a capable slasher.
The big question mark for his offense is if he can shoot, and it may be the most important trait he has on offense due to a likely low usage role early in his career. Right now, his form needs an overhaul due to his elbow often popping out and an overall awkwardly built release. His base is solid and maintains balance and a quick and repeatable lift, but the upper portion of the shot will take years to fully fix.
Defensively, Traore is a smart off-ball defender that can be at worst average as an on-ball defender, which profiles as a positive NBA defender. With long arms, an ideal frame, good recovery ability and athleticism, and generally good defensive awareness, Traore is an easy sell as a defender to NBA teams. The two biggest risks for his defense right now are that 1) he was often the corner helper on defense, and helped at the rim without calculating for the fact that a good shooter was then open for 3, and 2) that he had too many games of committing multiple avoidable fouls, particularly by being overly aggressive on both ends of the floor (both offensive and defensive fouls).
If he can iron out these avoidable mistakes as he matures, there is an easy path to him earning NBA rotation minutes. On top of that, he will need to become a good shooter with better jump shooting form. Depending on how quickly, and likely, that transformation is, he could maximize his game as an all-around forward that can easily add value in an NBA rotation, either off the bench or starting, potentially by the end of his rookie contract.
Projected draft range: 35-undrafted
Expected role: Two-way combo forward
Unplayable if: Jumper never gets cleaned up and his mistakes don’t get minimized with maturity.
Exceeds expectations if: Jump shot grows into a successful weapon, and he can thrive as a finisher at the rim.
Videos:
Video breakdown of a game on my old site
Shot chart:
