Pacers Coach Praises Nets' Young Talent

Rick Carlisle highlights Nolan Traore and Nets' player development

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle offered high praise for Brooklyn Nets rookie Nolan Traore and the team's overall player development program, despite the Pacers' victory over the shorthanded Nets. Carlisle highlighted Traore's impressive play and the progress of other young Nets players like Egor Demin.

Why it matters

Carlisle's compliments towards the Nets' young talent and player development efforts are significant, coming from an accomplished coach who has won an NBA championship. It suggests the Nets are building a strong foundation through their draft picks and developmental program, which will be crucial as they look to return to contention in the Eastern Conference.

The details

The Nets were missing key players Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, but it gave their rookies a chance to shine. Nolan Traore, the second of the Flatbush 5 draft picks, caught Carlisle's attention with his speed, shotmaking, playmaking and defense. Carlisle praised Traore's craftiness and ability to score at all four levels, saying the Pacers had 7-9 clips of him in their game prep. Carlisle also complimented the Nets' work in developing young players like Egor Demin under assistant coach Jordi Fernandez.

  • The Nets fell to the shorthanded Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.

The players

Rick Carlisle

The head coach of the Indiana Pacers, who has won an NBA championship as a head coach.

Nolan Traore

A rookie for the Brooklyn Nets, part of the team's 'Flatbush 5' draft class, who impressed Carlisle with his speed, shotmaking, playmaking and defense.

Jordi Fernandez

An assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets who has overseen the development of the team's young players.

Egor Demin

A young big man for the Brooklyn Nets whose development Carlisle praised.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“He causes problems... He's on our prep video a lot, which tells you something. There's seven, eight, nine clips of him. We gotta keep him in front. He's crafty, he drives it, he shoots all four levels... They do a great job of developing young players here. Jordi's been really top of the heap with what they've done the last couple of years. Traore's gonna keep getting better. [Egor] Dëmin's getting better. Their young bigs have progressed a lot over the last couple of years. The future here is very bright.”

— Rick Carlisle, Head Coach, Indiana Pacers (Twitter)

The takeaway

Carlisle's praise for the Nets' young talent and player development efforts, coming from an accomplished championship-winning coach, is a strong endorsement of the direction the franchise is heading. It suggests the Nets are building a solid foundation through the draft and coaching that will be crucial as they look to return to contention in the Eastern Conference.