Jason M. St. John

Every few years a new player emerges as the “fastest player in the league.” From Derrick Rose to John Wall to De’Aaron Fox, these speedy guards used/use their unique speed and quickness to become great NBA players. I believe the time is now to dub the next fastest player in the NBA, and his name is Nolan Traore. While it will be quite a difficult feat to become the caliber of player that Rose, Wall, and Fox were, the Frenchman certainly has the ability to become a dynamic offensive threat. Standing at 6’3”, the Brooklyn Nets 19 year old rookie had a slow start to the season, including some DNPs and G-League appearances. However, in the month of February Traore has turned it up a notch. February stats: 13.5 ppg / 6.3 apg / 2.8 rpg / 28 mpg 51.7 FG% / 42.9 3P% / 71 FT% Transition: Nolan Traore’s strongest trait is his ability to push the pace in transition. His teammates often look for him after turnovers and rebounds to create opportunities in transition. Traore is great at pushing the ball out in front of him, where he can then use an array of crossovers, spin moves, or blow-bys to glide past a defender running back in transition. Additionally, at only 185 pounds Troare is extremely physical, especially in transition drives to the basket where he excels at bumping his defender off-line. As most smaller guards do in the NBA he will likely gain some muscle, which will only improve this skill. Traore also creates “transition opportunities” out of half-court situations, as he frequently catches defenders off-guard by blowing by them with his elite speed as they are still setting up their defense, even after a made-basket. (1/4)

From 3.3 ppg in his lone year at UCLA to scoring 29 points against the top ranked defense in the NBA, Peyton Watson has come a long way. The former McDonald’s All-American has shown flashes at times in his NBA career so far, but the month of January brought about a level that many may not have expected. With Jokic getting injured in late December, Watson clearly saw the next month as an opportunity to showcase his abilities. January 2026 statline - 21.9 ppg / 5.5 rpg / 3 apg / 2.5 stocks pg Shooting splits - 49% / 46% / 71% A career 36% from three, including 42% this season, he shot the best he has so far in his career in January. If he continues this hot streak 46% from three would rank top 5 in the NBA for the 2025-26 season. Catch and Shoot: 58 FGA / 46.6% In 58 C&S situations, he shot an absurd 46.6% including a staggering 52.4% on C&S corner threes. Despite the defense not being quite as drawn in without the three-time MVP, Watson’s ability to shoot off the catch was impressive. Whether it was late shot clock, contested, or coming off a previous miss, he showed no hesitation taking corner threes. In fact, the difficulty of shots Watson took from this area was arguably higher due to increased attention on him. Mid-Range Area 79 FGA / 30.4% Despite his stellar month, Watson’s mid-range shot diet is a work in progress. The execution comes down to two separate types of mid-range. Most of his mid-range success came from C&S scenarios, where he can often be found around the nail or elbow areas. However, many misses came from contested looks including ones off multiple dribbles, late-clock, or settling in general. This is something he will surely improve on, as he never had the responsibility of self-creation to the extent he did in January. Additionally, he had numerous open misses coming from efficient spin moves and pivots, so the potential is there. Finishing (around the rim and floaters) 99 FGA / 52.5% Watson shot 56.7% on layups/dunks, largely due to his elite athleticism in transition and his cutting ability. Teammates often look for him after a defensive stop, as he has the ability to play above the rim and self-create. His diet of finishes in these situations often comes from a slow-step or euro-step, with only a small amount of chest-to-chest finishes. So in that regard he could improve. Variability in Actions: Another strong aspect of Watson’s game that he utilized in January was his ability to be used in various actions in different places. In the month he had many possessions as a pick-and-roll handler, screen setter, using a DHO, giving the DHO, and in particular his ability to come off a Pistol action was strong, as he is quick to get downhill with space or pop back for a center three, where he shot around 40%. Final thoughts: With Jokic back soon, he’ll take a few less field goals per game. However, he will likely have more C&S and cutting opportunities because of the Joker. Watson shows potential as secondary ball-handler/scorer for a playoff level team, and I am excited to see the 23 year-old continue his development.

Saul Ewing LLP is proud to announce that Baltimore Office Managing Partner Jonathan Havens was selected as one of @MDDailyRecord's 2025 Influential Marylanders. Learn more in our press release ➡️ bit.ly/4kWtU4N

On Memorial Day we honor the brave who gave everything—and stand w/ every veteran and families who stood w/ them. As County Executive I’ll deliver real support—no delays, no red tape. If you risked your life for this country, Baltimore County will have your back. #MemorialDay2025

On January 16, Partner Al Chakravarty will speak during @ACCinhouse's Privacy & Tech CLE Institute. Al will speak during a session titled, "Recent Developments in Data Privacy and What is Expected in 2025." Details here ➡️saulewing.biz/3Piz1yX #NewToInHouse

From our family to yours, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

"Since I was coming back to Boston, I wanted to be in a place where there is not only a lot of room to build my own network, but that the practice group is doing well and I'm going to hit the ground running. And all of that is proving to be true." law360.com/pulse/modern-l…

“A typical plan objection that might have some legs would be as to the feasibility of the plan,” said Zev Shechtman, @SaulEwing. “Is there a viable business plan where the terms of the plan, the payments under the plan, would be likely to succeed?" nytimes.com/athletic/59068…

Meet Aloke Chakravarty, the newest member of @SaulEwing's Boston office. Discover more about Al's practice and what attracted him to Saul Ewing in @BosBizJournal. bizjournals.com/boston/news/20…

Twenty-six years ago today, @SaulEwing merged with Weinberg & Green in Baltimore, enhancing our corporate, litigation, labor, & real estate practices. Today, our Baltimore office continues to thrive, also specializing in IP, environmental, renewable energy, cannabis law, and AI.

Check out the latest episode of Lawyers With Game. In this episode, host Darius Gambino (@PhillyIP) joins Lloyd Meng, GC and Head of Web3 Growth at Talon Esports, for a discussion on #esports, #crypto, and the future of video games on blockchain. ➡️ saulewing.biz/4djFNxV

Saul Ewing is pleased to share that Partner Zachary Kobrin (@ZackKobrin) was honored with the Top Lawyer Leader award at the @pbcconference_ 2024 Awards ceremony. The conference is a B2B conference for payments, banking, and compliance in the cannabis industry. Congratulations!

Last week, @SaulEwing received the Thaddeus Stevens Award from @PubIntLawCtr, honoring our commitment to pro bono work and justice. This reflects our long-standing partnership with PILC, co-founded in 1969 by Partner Bob Sayre.

Saul Ewing is excited to welcome Brian Meltzer as a Partner in the firm's Corporate Practice. A resident in the firm’s Baltimore office, Brian advises companies on mergers and acquisitions as well as private equity and venture capital financing deals. saulewing.biz/46UYKoX

This Memorial Day, we honor our fallen service members for their ultimate sacrifice. #MemorialDay

In the latest WISE Blog, @SaulEwing attorneys Erik Pramschufer, Megan Warshawsky and Steven Kerbaugh examine the Federal Trade Commission’s draft final rule prohibiting employers’ use of non-compete clauses with employees. saulewing.biz/3Qgzgew #FTC #NonCompete

Meet Anne de Fontenay, @SaulEwing's new Chief Financial Officer. Residing in the firm's Washington, D.C. office, Anne has more than 20 years of financial management experience in professional services. Learn more about Anne in @Law360. law360.com/pulse/articles…

Saul Ewing LLP is proud to be a member of the Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Alliance and unite with the Baltimore community during this unprecedented time in the wake of the Key Bridge collapse. We are committed to helping Baltimore & Maryland return stronger. #BaltimoreStrong

Writing the next chapter in Orioles history.

Hello, 2024! We wish you a Happy New Year! 🎊