News Nets Team Notes

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets defeat Phoenix Suns in final Macao game, 111-109

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

The Brooklyn Nets rolled out the same starting five in their second preseason game vs. the Phoenix Suns in Macao as they did in the first. Nolan Traore once again got the start over fellow rookie Ben Saraf at point guard, next to Cam Thomas, Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann, and Nic Claxton.

Unlike that first game, though, the starters limped out of the gate. They trailed the Suns by double digits after one quarter, mainly due to a spotty defense who attempted to be aggressive but could not execute…

Suns lead 11-9 at the first break. BKN still putting two on the ball but haven't been nearly disruptive enough: pic.twitter.com/MmeftwOKQ8

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 12, 2025

Traore, despite making a couple early layups, did not shine in this preseason contest. The league’s fourth youngest player finished with 4/3/2 and four turnovers, often over-penetrating and getting stuck without options in a crowded restricted area. Early on, Saraf did the same; he recorded just three turnovers but put the ball in harm’s more often that.

Cam Thomas willing himself to the line, along with Michael Porter Jr. nailing some tough jumpers, saved Brooklyn’s offense in the first half. They led Brooklyn with 16 and 15 points respectively, though combined for just three assists. Phoenix, understandably, was much better prepared the second time around. Their physicality at the point-of-attack pushed back dribble handoffs and ball-screens, and suddenly, Nic Claxton touching the ball that often 25 feet from the rim seemed suspect.

Brooklyn did get back into the game though, largely due to their defense. Drake Powell supplanted Tyrese Martin in the ten-man rotation, and the athletic rookie was apparently the only Net who could contain Collin Gillespie off the dribble. Sadly, we did not get to see Powell have a shot at Devin Booker, but it was tough to complain about his 16 minutes, in which he hit a couple threes…

nice couple possessions for Drake Powell (taking T Martin's rotation spot). Has really popped on defense so far: pic.twitter.com/7ReWCm3yoc

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 12, 2025

The third quarter resembled the first Macao matchup between these teams; the points flowed and the threes fell. Ziaire Williams ended up with 15 points, hitting four long-balls, and while Traore’s struggles continued, Saraf settled in. He only scored four points on Sunday, but ended up with 11 of the team’s 21 assists. His last five assists all went to 3-pointers, with the 6’6” guard him penetrating the lane, slowing down, and seeing over help defense…

Ben Saraf Danny Wolf pic.twitter.com/PHmgHSjm8A

— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) October 12, 2025

Brooklyn’s defense, especially in transition, was really rough, with the Suns getting dunk after dunk after dunk, but the Chinese fans were sure excited watching NBA basketball in their country for the first time in six years.

Even the fourth quarter, which saw both teams empty their benches, was exciting. The Nets played three of their rookies together in a jumbo lineup with Saraf and Powell sharing the floor with Noah Clowney, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Danny Wolf. Clowney continues to inspire confidence; perhaps this is simply a wish rather than reality, but his added strength makes his 3-point shot feel easier, smoother. Indeed, Clowney hit a couple threes and scored eight points in his 18 minutes.

Danny Wolf, meanwhile, played a dozen loud minutes, all down the stretch of this one. He made some fun plays…

tough Danny Wolf bucket pic.twitter.com/MHmHckvxoC

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 12, 2025

…and he threw in some head-scratchers, but it’s now evident that when he touches the floor this year, you won’t forget it. Even with Saraf sharing the floor, Wolf acted almost as Brooklyn’s primary ball-handler, initiating all of his offense from outside the arc. He put up 9/4/1 with two turnovers, banking in a three that gave Brooklyn the lead with 1:36 left.

We were headed for yet another overtime contest when, by the grace of God, old friend David Duke Jr. fouled Tyrese Martin on a last-second 3-point attempt to break the tie. Martin calmly sunk two of three, landing him at 11 points in just eight minutes, and the Nets completed their comeback.

Said Jordi Fernández postgame: “We have to be better handling physicality … But the resiliency, I’m very happy with. Our guys, how much they fought, and they tried to do the right things, especially our second unit, third unit.”

And so ends Brooklyn’s swing to the Eastern Hemisphere, which certainly had wider-ranging implications than basketball, though the basketball was informative too. It will be hard for Jordi Fernández to keep the rookies off the floor, not only because that’s what the fans are living and dying to see, but because it will help the inevitable tank. You know, the one Joe Tsai alluded to by saying, “you can predict what kind of strategy we will use for this season.”

By the way, Fernández was asked about that quote postgame, and gave a short masterclass in deflection: “He says he wants a good draft pick because no matter where we pick, our front office is so good that we’re gonna pick a very good player. And it’s been proved with Noah Clowney, J-Will, the five guys we picked this year.”

Very smooth, Jordi. Very smooth indeed.

In other China-related news, Reuters, the international news service, reports that the NBA has signed a multi-year deal with the country’s basketball governing body, the Chinese Basketball Association, to support the development of Chinese male and female basketball teams and enable them to train and compete in the U.S., including in the NBA Summer League and pre-season WNBA games.

Final Score: Brooklyn Nets 111, Phoenix Suns 109

• Boxscore: Brooklyn Nets 111, Phoenix Suns 109 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Brooklyn Nets 111, Phoenix 109 (Video) – NBA
• How a Las Vegas Casino Mogul Helped Bring N.B.A. Games Back to China ($) – Tania Ganguli and Mara Hvistendahl – New York Times
• Nets’ Ben Saraf separates himself in rookie point guard battle with 11-assist performance – Erik Slater – Clutch Points
• Nets preseason player grades: Cam Thomas drops 16 in win over Suns – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY
• Nets’ Ben Saraf Showcases Elite Playmaking in Preseason Win vs. Suns – Jed Katz – Sports Illustrated

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-scor...s-phoenix-suns-111-109-ben-saraf-drake-powell

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

NBA China Games a success for NBA, Brooklyn Nets … Joe Tsai

Six years after the 2019 version of the NBA China Games ended in disaster with the relationship between league and country in tatters and the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angelese Lakers desperately wanting out of town, things were decidedly different this time. There were no international incidents, each team won a game and everyone saw the Games as a success. By 9:00 p.m. Sunday night, New York time, the Nets A360 was over the Pacific with an ETA at Newark Liberty Airport at 6;30 a.m.

Brooklyn Nets charter flying back home to New York after playing 2 preseason games in China versus the Phoenix Suns!

MFM EWR
DL8920
N575DZ pic.twitter.com/hHIn6zi77z

— planes (@NBAPLANES) October 13, 2025

For the Nets, there were a number of positives. After losing a lead in the first game and losing the game in overtime, the Nets staged a big comeback in the second game’s fourth quarter and Tyrese Martin sealed the deal with two free throws with 2.5 seconds left. Martin, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf the latter two the Nets 26th and 27th picks in the June Draft were key to the victory, the 19-year-old Saraf handing out 11 assists — the last five on 3-pointers.

For the league, it wasn’t just the absence of bad news that was a big positive. The league also announced a couple of deals with Chinese basketball authorities, one of them that also benefited Joe Tsai’s Alibaba. The STDaily which tracks science and technology in China reported that NBA China and Alibaba Cloud announced a “multi-year partnership,” with Alibaba Cloud becoming the official cloud computing and A.I. partner of NBA China.

The partnership was jointly announced by Alibaba Group Chairman and Brooklyn Nets Governor Joe Tsai and NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum on the eve of the 2025 NBA China Games.

“Artificial intelligence and the cloud are the perfect connectors, connecting players and fans, brands and consumers, and bridging global perspectives with local culture,” said Tsai. “By partnering with NBA China and leveraging Alibaba’s latest technologies, we will bring unprecedented and extraordinary experiences to NBA fans and ignite their passion.”

Alibaba has a similar relationship with the Olympics, supplying cloud services to the last three Olympiads.

The league and country also announced a joint development deal. Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, called the agreement a “transformational partnership” that would allow China’s next generation to become “the greatest players they can be”, South China Morning Post reported.

“This collaboration is a continuation of our long-term efforts to elevate the game of basketball in China at all levels,” Silver said. “We look forward to strengthening our collective commitment to developing the next generation of NBA and WNBA players from China.”

NBA China and the CBA will provide opportunities for the China men’s and women’s national teams to train and compete in the US, including taking part in the NBA Summer League, as they had in the past, and pre-season WNBA games. China’s rising stars will also be given the chance to be part of the NBA’s elite basketball development programs, including Basketball Without Borders, NBA Academy and potential tryouts conducted by NBA, WNBA and NBA G League teams.

The Nets currently have two Chinese players under contract, Fanbo Zeng with Brooklyn with an Exhibit 10 deal and David Muoka with Long Island Nets on a standard G League deal. Zeng played 10 minutes in Friday’s first game vs. the Suns, but didn’t see any minutes in the second game. Chinese fans on various websites expressed frustration with Nets coach Jordi Fernandez not giving Zeng an opportunity. Fernandez had this to say about Zeng’s performance Friday.

“He was out there. He tried to do the right things because that’s who he is,” Fernandez said. “He’s a kid that asks questions, he understands. I’m pretty sure he’ll watch his film and he’ll try to be better.”

Fernandez said he encouraged Zeng to make the most of his minutes and stay positive.

“The reality is, when you have minutes, you have to take advantage of those minutes because, you know, NBA minutes are really hard, and it starts right now,” the Nets head coach said.

“Keep working, keep getting 1 per cent better, and take advantage of your opportunities. There’s a reason why he’s with us. So we got to stay positive.”

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-news/99951/nba-china-games-a-success-for-nba-brooklyn-nets-joe-tsai

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets Cut Dariq Whitehead and Drew Timme

The Brooklyn Nets requested waivers on Drew Timme and Dariq Whitehead Monday afternoon. Everyone knew the team had to whittle down its roster before the regular season begins a week from Wednesday. However, what chips they’d shave off remained up for contention, until now.

Whitehead was the largest one to hit the deck. As a former first round pick on a standard rookie contract, cutting him loose wouldn’t have been as cost efficient as dropping someone on a partially guaranteed deal like Tyrese Martin or Jalen Wilson. Cutting Whitehead would also mean openly admitting you wasted a first round draft pick. That couldn’t have been easy for a front office that’s made acquiring those a habit and is banking its entire future on the upside of them.

Thank you, Dariq pic.twitter.com/8uOi7c6f8X

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 13, 2025

Regardless, Brooklyn opted to move on from the Duke prospect. After suffering multiple leg/foot injuries, leading to three surgeries since the team drafted him in July of 2023, Whitehead never seemed to retain the athletic explosiveness which made him an intriguing prospect at the high school and collegiate levels. He did, however, shoot 44.6% on 3.7 3PAs per game last season, appearing in 20 contests for Brooklyn.

Timme entered this offseason in a opposite situation. After going undrafted in 2023, he bounced around the G-League for a bit before Long Island acquired him. There, he averaged 23.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while shooting 57.4% from the field. The Nets promoted him to their roster near the end of last season. He registered a double-double in his debut and averaged 12.1 points and 7.2 boards in his 12 games as a pro.

Despite following that up with a strong Summer League performance, Timme time could only go on for so long. With the Nets making history by adding five players via the draft this year, they left little-to-no room for secondary prospects such as himself, or even older first rounders, made clear by Whitehead’s release.

With the Nets still at 16 standard contracts and needing to reach 15 by Wednesday, they’ll need to waive one more sooner rather than later. The Nets do still have one two-way slot available, which they could offer to Timme. They’ll eat $3.3 million by waiving Whitehead, which puts them just above the minimum salary floor. As of now, they’ll have around $15 million in cap space going into the season, more than any other team.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-news/99974/brooklyn-nets-cut-dariq-whitehead-and-drew-timme

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

This time, Brooklyn Nets taking no chances at the point

For those who love the tank — excuse us, flexibility and sustainable success, last season was a disappointment. After Las Vegas pegged them at 19 wins, the Nets went out and won more than half that number in the first 21 games, buoyed by the play of Dennis Schroder. Not good if you were dreaming of Cooper Flagg in black-and-white.

Schroder, of course, was sent packing at the first available moment, almost literally, to the Golden State Warriors and his veteran counterpart upfront, Dorian Finney-Smith went to the Los Angeles Lakers for a net total of five second rounders. But also, the Nets got another veteran point guard, D’Angelo Russell and Brooklyn finished with 26 wins and the eighth pick in the draft, not what a lot of fans had hoped for but their highest pick in 15 years.

While there is no dictate for the coach to lose games, Nets front office types know the secret is not putting bad players on the court, like their counterparts in Philly did at year’s end. No, the way to get a high pick is make sure the head coach has limited resources, preferably younger. And nowhere is that point more acute than at the 1, the point guard position.

As Brian Lewis notes Tuesday, Jordi Fernandez won’t be relying on the FIBA World Cup and FIBA Europe MVP (Schroder) or the one-time Nets All-Star (Russell.) Sean Marks has seen to that!

Sean Marks appears to be taking no chances this time around… Last season, the Nets went 26-56 with seasoned veterans Dennis Schröder and then D’Angelo Russell keeping their offense calm and composed — and their team competitive. Those wins proved Pyrrhic.

The four players on this year’s roster with point guard experience are aged 19, 19, 19, and 22 … and that last player is seen as more of 2. The three 19-year-olds are, of course, rookies and the 22-year-old has played only 27 games in two years with the Hawks.

The stakes are high. Joe Tsai knows, as we learned this week. He told an L.A. tech gathering last month, “We have one pick in 2026, and we hope to get a good pick. So you can predict what kind of strategy we will use for this season.”

The difference between this year and last is also evident in the stakes: the top of the 2026 draft. Again, Lewis:

The Nets went into the 2025 draft lottery with just a nine percent chance of landing Cooper Flagg, the one perceived franchise talent on the board. The Nets fell all the way to a disappointing eighth in the draft.

In a generational class with three prospects — BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and Duke’s Cameron Boozer — at that rarified level, landing any of the top three seeds in the lottery would give the Nets an encouraging 40.1 percent chance of landing a projected cornerstone, more than four times better than the odds they had back in May’s lottery.

And should a fourth player, such as, say, Tennessee’s Nate Ament, join that elite company, getting a top-three seed would give Marks a 52.1 percent chance of coming away from the draft with a perceived franchise-changer.

The availability of (at least) four top prospects at the top of the draft takes some of the course off the vagaries of the lottery . No team with the worst record has won the overall No. 1 pick since the league changed the rules in 2019, trying to make the lottery and overall draft process less prone to tanking. In the last three drafts, the team with the worst record wound up with the fifth pick, the worst selection possible while in the last two drafts, the top pick went to the team who made the play-in and had a 98.2% chance of not getting the overall No. 1 … but wound up sitting pretty nonetheless.

So the Nets chose Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf with three of their first round picks at picks No. 8, 19 and 26. All three will be among the 11 youngest players in the NBA this season and prone to mistakes. Point guards are notoriously the slowest to develop in the NBA, their jobs multi-dimensional. As Lewis pointed out, growing pains are to be expected at the point.

Over the prior decade of drafts, 53 players designated primarily as point guards by Basketball Reference were taken in the first round, and 39 of them underachieved their draft slot, according to the win shares metric. But that’s overwhelmingly skewed by the younger guards.

All 19 of those selected in the past four drafts had underachieved their draft slot, and 20 of the 34 taken in the previous six drafts have still underachieved theirs. The clear takeaway is lead guards take a while to learn to, well, lead.

This isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s been the case even for Hall of Famers such as Gary Payton, John Stockton and Steve Nash.

Moreover, Demin has yet to play in the Nets three preseason games, but Erik Slater reported Tuesday that the 6’9 1/2” Russian participated fully in practices while the team was in Macao. So he could play in Friday’s preseason finale in Toronto vs. the Raptors. There have been some highlights and some low lights for Traore and Saraf in the first three games, particularly when pressured, as they will be all season.

“Nolan and Ben felt real NBA pressure, and that’s a good thing,” Jordi Fernandez said. “That’s a learning opportunity when you feel the real pressure of a good defensive team. Hopefully, moving forward, they can get better and handle that better, because 34 turnovers leading to 42 points is not good enough. You’re not going to win many games in the NBA [like that].”

Saraf seemed to get it vs. the Suns in the Nets win Sunday, finishing with 11 assists — the last five on 3-pointers — in 21 minutes of play, Traore not so much as our Lucas Kaplan noted…

talking about the Nets' rookies with one of the most insightful draft thinkers on here, then previewing the defensive landscape of the league this season

fun times. here's a tidbit on why Ben's gotten off to a faster start than Nolan: https://t.co/wx7qNSVz51 pic.twitter.com/qgTxkc4rT6

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 14, 2025

So, the three teenagers (none of whom will turn 20 till March) will learn on the job and await the arrival, if all goes according to plan, another teenager in 2026. That’s the plan with the pain.

• The long-term logic behind the Nets’ plan to turn over their offense to a trio of teenagers ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-anal...-brooklyn-nets-taking-no-chances-at-the-point

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets waive Fanbo Zeng, sign Grant Nelson

The Brooklyn Nets announced Wednesday that Fanbo Zeng, the 22-year-old 6’11” small forward who is one of China’s top young players, has been waived. The team also waived Malachi Smith, a 6’6” shooting guard who they had signed Tuesday in their effort to get to the salary cap floor under the CBA.

Later Wednesday, the Nets announced they have signed Grant Nelson, the 6’11” 23-year-old Alabama big who went undrafted in June, turning down an offer to be taken in the second round, saying he preferred to be a free agent so he could ultimately sign with Brooklyn. He played for the Nets in Summer League. He presumably will wind up in Long Island.

The moves bring the Nets roster to 19, one more than the maximum allowed. However, the current configuration is 17 standard deals and two two-ways. That means they will still have to cut someone on a standard deal (as well as Nelson) before Monday’s cutdown deadline. They also have the option to add a third two-way. Zeng had hoped he could get the two-way but he played only 10 minutes in the first China game, recording only one steal, angering Chinese fans who contend he did not get enough of an opportunity to make his case.

Despite the limited minutes and production, Zeng told Chinese media he thought he had made progress vs. the Suns…

"My last official game was a few months ago, so there was quite a gap. I missed a lot over the summer, and this was my 1st action after 20 days of training."
"Personally, I feel like I've taken a step forward."

-Zeng Fanbo on his debut for the Brooklyn Nets#NBAChinaGames2025 pic.twitter.com/y66aiC9maY

— CGTN Sports Scene (@CGTNSportsScene) October 11, 2025

He did not play in the second game vs. the Suns in Macao. Nor had he played in the Nets first preseason game vs. Hapoel Jerusalem on October 4. Interestingly, the Nets English language press release did not mention any injury concern, but on the press release posted on Weibo, the big Chinese social media site, the Nets suggested that Zeng has a health issue.

According to a Google translation, the Chinese language release stated: “We’re fortunate to have been able to accompany him back on the court after his injury. We wish him all the best in his recovery.” Zeng suffered a lumbar transverse process fracture in his back in April 2025 during the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) playoffs.

Zeng is one of China’s top young players having won the CBA’s Most Improved Player award and a spot on the All-CBA first team as a small forward with 3-and-D credentials. His G League rights now automatically transfer to the Long Island Nets. He has said he hoped his opportunity with Brooklyn would help him re-start his NBA career. He had played with the G League Ignite team and for the Indiana Pacers Summer League team three years ago.

Indeed, Mfon Udofia, Long Island’s head coach, told ND’s Scott Mitchell before training camp that he had worked with Zeng over the summer and saw his potential.

“Fanbo, first of all, is a really good human being,” Udofia told Mitchell. “High character individual. Then, from the basketball side, he has a really good skill set, can shoot the ball, and his athleticism is good. I’m excited to coach him, excited to have him, and I think he’ll play very well for both teams.”

Should Zeng decide to play with Long Island, the Brooklyn Nets would not retain any NBA rights to him. Choosing to stay in the U.S. and not return to China would also have financial repercussions for Zeng. He could make upwards of a million dollars a year playing for his old team, the Beijing Ducks, in China while a G League gig would pay him slightly more than $100,000 including the bonus he’d receive if he stays with Long Island for 60 days.

Steve Lichtenstein on his substack criticized the Nets for signing Zeng, contending he was not NBA ready and that the move was all about Joe Tsai wanting a Chinese player on his team.

I’m over it now, but the ploy I assume was spurred by ownership to play an obviously undeserving China native during Friday’s exhibition had me seething. Ok, maybe if you’re going to have Zeng on the training camp roster, giving him six minutes during the second and fourth quarters can be justified as a goodwill gesture to the hosts. But did the Nets have to play him in the overtime? The Suns targeted Zeng mercilessly by forcing him to switch onto their ballhandlers, where he got toasted, and then the Nets rarely passed him the ball on offense.

Joseph Tsai, from all appearances, wants a player of Asian descent on the team. The Nets gave a similarly ill-suited Jacky Cui five games last season before he suffered a horrific knee injury.

Tsai has been open about wanting Chinese players on both his teams going back to 2019.

“I’ve been on record saying if there’s good Chinese players, I would do anything to help them come — if they want to come play in the NBA, I would do anything to help them do that,” Tsai emphasized to NetsDaily in May 2019. Tsai also said he’d leave any such decision to his basketball people. Zeng, for his part, has said he’s never met Tsai.

As for the two-way opening, Brian Lewis reported Tuesday that the Nets have not ruled out signing Drew Timme, cut Monday along with Dariq Whitehead, to the two-way spot. It’s also possible that Nelson could compete for the opening.

Playing for Alabama this season, his second in Tuscaloosa, Nelson averaged 11.5 points on 52/26/68 as well as 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 blocks. Previously, the Devils Lake, N.D. native had played for North Dakota State where he got the nickname “Dakota Durant.”

Nelson’s signature moment took place in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He reached another gear in the Sweet 16, scoring 24 points and 12 rebounds to go with five blocks to upset No. 1 seed UNC.

At the NBA Combine, Nelson got high marks, particularly in agility tests, setting the Combine record for the shuttle run and finishing third among 60 prospects in lane agility. The drills assess a player’s speed, body control, and ability to change direction.

Nelson had been tagged as an Exhibit 10 signing in preseason, but when he didn’t appear on the 21-man Nets training camp roster last month, his agent told the Tuscaloosa News that he “anticipated” Nelson would sign an Exhibit 10 later in the preseason.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/longislandnets/100042/brooklyn-nets-waive-fanbo-zeng-sign-grant-nelson

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets land only two Players in latest Top 100 Player Rankings

In the myriad of barrel-scraping offseason content that always involves player ratings, rankings or any debate-stirring comparables, finding Brooklyn Nets has become its own game of Where’s Waldo. At least that guy wore a red hat and sweater to make himself stand out. Neither Brooklyn’s color scheme nor their roster has helped them establish a noticeable presence.

In August, NBA2K dropped their Top 100 player ratings for the 2026 version of their critically acclaimed game. With Brooklyn in the thick of a rebuild and carrying an abundance of unproven players, they lacked representation there as well. Only Michael Porter Jr. made the list, clocking in as the game’s 67th best player.

So this week, when CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, and The Ringer all dropped their own Top 100 lists, it shouldn’t have been surprise to see the Nets play the role of a needle in a haystack once more.

For both Bleacher Report and The Ringer, only Michael Porter Jr. made the cut, with the latter putting him at No. 74 and the former at No. 77. However, with CBS, Porter Jr. did have some company amid the fodder. Nic Claxton made their list as well, earning the 96th best spot, curiously ahead of MPJ, who they had at No. 98.

Each publication assembled its lists by pooling opinions from its writers. Bleacher Report put theirs together with the intent to include “players who will compete at the most elite levels right now, and players who will impact winning on a star level.” The Ringer’s criteria included “players making the biggest impact on the league right now.” CBS simply mentioned an intent to predict the best players for the upcoming season — a bit different, but also, not really.

The big name missing, and perhaps the only one worthy of a “snub” tag across the board, is the same one that polarized everyone this summer: Cam Thomas.

Last year, CT averaged 24.0 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.3 assists per game. That said, he only appeared in 25 games due to a nagging hamstring injury. Fair or not, mainstream media members again questioned his ability to be more than just a scorer after the shortened campaign, badgering him over missed reads on one end and poor positioning at the other.

Besides his ability to put the ball through the hoop, the only thing clear about the combo guard is that opinions on his collective game vary. He still has much to prove. His own team made that quite clear this summer.

Be that as it may, he’s not alone, made quite clear by all these lists. While it’s always a long shot for any rookie to ascend into the NBA’s cream of the crop after just one campaign, Terance Mann, Ziaire Williams, Claxton (at least for B/R and The Ringer), Haywood Highsmith, and Kobe Bufkin are all veterans who’ll have a bigger opportunity this year than their careers have ever presented. Guys like Day’Ron Sharpe and Noah Clowney are also expected to take a next step this season as well.

I’m not saying they or Thomas will all ascend all the way into “Top 100” talks, but they won’t climb alone, that’s for sure.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-news...y-2-players-in-latest-top-100-player-rankings

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Will Egor Demin make his long-awaited debut Friday?

We won’t know for sure until later Thursday whether Egor Demin will be healthy enough to take the court Friday in Toronto vs. the Raptors. The 6’9” Russian point guard suffered a tear in his plantar fascia at the end of Summer League back in July and has been recovering ever since. But as Erik Slater pointed out Wednesday, Demin had been participating in 5-on-5 drills last week in Macao. There was also a couple of seconds of him taking a fall in a video the Nets tweeted out…

droppin' more Nets hoops on the TL pic.twitter.com/0KUTAFIF6b

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 9, 2025

For Nets fans and the team’s front office, a debut even if only a few minutes will be tantalizing. After all, Demin (the 11th youngest player in the NBA this season) was the franchise’s first lottery selection since the New Jersey Nets took Derrick Favors in 2010. then summarily traded him to the Jazz for Deron Williams. Moreover, his selection was controversial. Most mock drafts had the BYU freshman going later, from the late lottery to even the second round in one case.

But Sean Marks & co. remain happy with their selection and while Brian Windhorst may have said on Draft Night that league personnel were laughing at the Nets picks, others think the Nets did well. Thunder GM Sam Presti was a big fan, according to reports, even inviting Demin to dinner after his pre-draft workout. (Some reporter should ask the Nets new player personnel director about him. Acie Law IV was the director of scouting for the Thunder last year.)

Another NBA type well-versed in the 2025 Draft told NetsDaily that he sees Demin having a long and productive career.

“Egor will be a stud,” the source told ND. “Very very good basketball player. People who don’t understand the game won’t get it.

“You’ll see development sooner than year’s end. But in three to four years, when you have actual players around him, you’ll really see.”

He was penciled in as the Nets starting point guard after being selected at No. 8 but with him out, the Nets two other teen-aged point guards got some run. Ben Saraf, taken at No. 26, playing better than Nolan Traore, taken at No. 19.

His performance in the Summer League didn’t really give fans much to evaluate. As a Nets coach told Keith Smith of Spotrac after the league ended, the Nets don’t plan to use Demin during the season the way they did in Las Vegas: as a point forward more that a point guard.

One aspect of his game that had to be very encouraging to the team was his 3-point shooting. Critics cited his 27.3% rate at BYU as a reason to question his being taken so high. But in Las Vegas, he shot 43.5% on 7.7 shots per game, arguably making him the top 3-point volume shooter in the Summer League. He had previously shown off his shooting at the Combine and in a pro day where he hit 16 straight threes in 35 seconds. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony called it, “one of the most impressive pro day performances we’ve seen in some time.”

In discussing him, Nets officials said they were particularly impressed by his toughness and poise and point to how in the Nets lone Summer League win vs. the Magic, he hit three straight threes to win the game … after making two sloppy turnovers.

Assuming that he does play, it’s likely that Saraf will get the lion’s share of minutes and after his performance against the Suns in Macao — 11 assists, including the last five on 3-point shots, in 21 minutes — why not?

But whatever minutes he gets Friday night or next week when the season opens will be analyzed and over analyzed. That’s what fans do.

• Nets’ Egor Demin nearing return from foot injury as regular season approaches – Erik Slater – Clutch Points

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-news/100116/will-egor-demin-make-his-long-awaited-debut-friday

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets vs. Toronto Raptors preview: Preseason finale

Three down, one to go. The Brooklyn Nets concluded a successful trip to China with a 111-109 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. The team has gotten some much needed rest the past few days thanks to all that travel, and will look to speed through the preseason finale before the real games begin.

The opponent tonight is looking to do some good things this year. The Toronto Raptors have a lot of talent, and now it’s up to Darko Rajaković to put it all together. The team made a spirited last minute rally to get the game against the Boston Celtics into overtime on Wednesday, but ultimately fell two points short.

Where to follow the game​

YES Network on TV. Gotham Sports on the app. Tip after 7:00 p.m. ET. Justin Shackil and Frank Isola have the call.

Injuries​

No Haywood Highsmith. That’s it.

We’ll see if Gradey Dick and Collin Murray-Boyles play tonight.

The game​

Y’all know the rules for last game of the preseason: Nobody get hurt! We’re at the last game of the slate and starting next week, the games count for real. Make it out of this in one piece and we can get to everything else.

We’ll get to see how the Raptors try to clean some of their spacing issues up after some particularly rough moments on Wednesday night

The Raptors starters were -12 in 15 minutes last night in their first game together.

Recapping their spacing issues + why I’m optimistic pic.twitter.com/zh28FFvb3r

— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) October 16, 2025

We’ll see how the team incorporates Brandon Ingram throughout the season. He was traded to Toronto from New Orleans, but was out injured so he never suited up for them. Now that he’s back and fully healthy, we’ll see how he is utilized. BI is averaging 20 points a game in preseason and shooting a sparkling 60 percent from three point range. The challenge has always been getting Ingram to take more three pointers, and if the Raps want to have as much space as possible on offense, they’re going to need him to let it fly from deep early and often.

For the Nets, tonight will be one more opportunity for Ben Saraf to put some good tape out there. The rook has had plenty of good moments in the preseason, and his ability to manage games has been a big positive so far. There are still concerns about his jump shot, but his drives have been able to withstand those questions. From our very own Lucas Kaplan:

That sentiment right there is why Saraf may just start on Opening Night for the Brooklyn Nets, and why he may see very few minutes in Long Island this season, compared with his draft classmates. Missing jumpers is one thing, but as long as he takes them (no immediate guarantee), Saraf shouldn’t be such a terrible shooter that the offenses collapses around him. There will be moments of struggle, but he is a strong, physical driver who generally knows where the ball should go. On this Nets team, that’s enough to play on day one.

This year is all about growth, and if Saraf develops into a solid NBA player by the end of this season, then this year will be a success.

Player to watch: Egor Demin​

Time for the Nets top draft pick to make his preseason debut! He’s been out with a foot injury and has been working his way back. With this being his first on-court action in a while, we’ll see how long he’ll be out there. Jordi Fernandez mentioned that he’ll see “some minutes,” but don’t expect him to take on a full regular season workload tonight. The objective is to make it out healthy and get his feet wet against starters and rotation players.

Immanuel Quickley is someone always looking to get downhill, and that’s going to be a key aspect of Toronto’s attack. He’s one of the faster guards in the league and someone that was one of the league leaders in drives. He’s a big part of Toronto’s future and a good season could help get Toronto get back into the playoffs.

From the Vault​

Ones in the air for D’Angelo

More reading: Raptors HQ, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Steve’s Newsletter

• Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
• Toronto Raptors Game Notes – Toronto Raptors
• Nets’ Drake Powell will have to prove he can handle bigger minutes – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets under 19.5 wins? Why Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe are predicting ‘disastrous results’ – Erik Slater – Clutch Points

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-game...in-immanuel-quickley-brandon-ingram-ben-saraf

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

“Better than I expected,” says Jordi Fernández of Macao trip

Brooklyn Nets Head Coach Jordi Fernández spoke with reporters over Zoom on Thursday afternoon, as his well-traveled team hasn’t had quite enough rest since returning from Macau to hold an official practice just yet.

“You guys were not as aggressive on Zoom, by the way. Okay, it’s like you’re a little shy,” joked Fernández after the 12-minute call.

We’ve already reported the main news of the day, that #8 overall pick Egor Dëmin has not only been practicing in a 5-on-5 capacity, but that he will make his Nets debut in the team’s final preseason game, a Friday night tilt against the Toronto Raptors.

“So, good news is tomorrow he’ll have some minutes, and that’s exciting,”said Fernández. “I’m excited for him. He’s done a great job and now we’re ready to take the next step.”

It’ll be interesting to see where Dëmin falls in the rotation, not just to end the preseason, but to begin the regular season. Of course, he is the highest of Brooklyn’s five first-round picks and arrives with the heaviest expectations, but he has missed nearly the entirety of training camp and preseason. Ben Saraf has been impressive so far, while Nolan Traore has struggled a bit more, but both have seen much more live action than Dëmin.

Said Fernández of his young guards: “What I’m excited about is to see how the process is going to go. They’re all going to fight for some of the same minutes. They’re all going to fight for some of the wing minutes. But right now, for sure, the starting point guard and backup point guard [spots], those three are fighting for those minutes and that’s great, because we’re going to see a lot of the young talent we’ve drafted playing real NBA minutes.”

Emphasis mine, of course, as I imagine that’s just about the most exciting quote Fernández could have given Nets fans during training camp. Right now, it seems as though Dëmin and Saraf are the frontrunners for those early minutes with Traore lagging behind, perhaps destined for some G League minutes, but much is still to be determined. (Here’s Erik Slater and I discussing Brooklyn’s youngsters on Locked on Nets…)

As you might imagine, questions about the five rookies flowed. Next up was #22 overall pick Drake Powell, a staggeringly low-usage wing at UNC, particularly compared to the other four ball-handlers Brooklyn drafted. This is to say nothing of his ability or long-term projection, just that you don’t often see players on mediocre college teams come off the bench with a usage rate in the low-teens and immediately produce in the NBA.

Jordi Fernández, though, isn’t hearing all that: “I wasn’t there [at UNC], and I cannot judge whether it’s positive or negative, but I see Drake as an elite on-ball defender, as probably the best athlete of this draft, a player that can run a play on the second-side, a very good ball-handler. I don’t know if you guys know it, but he was a point guard when he was in high school, I believe, or growing up. So you can see all those things.

“And the thing is, he makes it look simple, and he does things that you’re like, ‘oh, that looks easy,’ but it’s not easy. And, you know, we’re going to see the growth. It’s not always going to be easy. He’s going to have to earn it. Like I said with the point guards, they’re going to have to earn their minutes and take advantage of their minutes. Same thing with Drake. He’s going to have to take advantage of his minutes. If he starts with opportunity, great. If not, the opportunity will come. So I expect all those guys to see the floor at one point.”

While there was no specific question about Danny Wolf, there was one about a big man — or perhaps a big wing — that may play in front of him to start the year. Judging by preseason rotations, Noah Clowney is firmly in Fernández’s top ten, the number he said he plans to use in a normal regular season game. Clowney and his suddenly buff frame have been a hot topic during the preseason, as NetsDaily contributor Brian Fleurantin just wrote about.

A beefed up Noah Clowney couldn’t help but crack a smile when asked about his new physique:

“Just been eating and staying in the weight room… I just turned 21, so I don't really have the grown man weight yet. So everything I got right now, I've been forcing it." pic.twitter.com/59bDtsi1BL

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) September 26, 2025

“Noah is exactly what we want,” said Brooklyn’s head coach. “From the culture perspective, he had an amazing summer. He’s developed not just his body, but also his personality, his growth as a person. He looks like a grown man now, he just turned 21 when we were in Vegas. So, very happy with Noah. What I’ve seen, the games he’s played, you know, he’s gonna keep getting better and better, and he has the shooting, the size, the toughness, the leadership that we want.”

With that, the Brooklyn Nets are onto Toronto, and then will surely make a pit-stop back in the borough before opening the regular season in Charlotte against the Hornets. Fernández was full of praise for the team’s trip to Macau, saying it went better than he expected.

“I was a little worried because of my inexperience, too, I’ve never gone through it as a head coach,” he said of preseason. “But the reality is, the NBA and our organization did such a great job putting it together. We were treated extremely well, the experience was unbelievable, and all of that was very, very positive. Our guys could practice, get better, play two high-level games, and now we’re back here. We’re a little tired and we can feel the jet lag, but also you learn from your body and how you get back on track.”

We’ll see how the Nets get back on track on Friday night. Their final preseason game against the Toronto Raptors is scheduled to tip at 7:00 p.m. ET, where Egor Dëmin is expected to suit up.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-news...cted-jordi-fernandez-brooklyn-nets-egor-demin

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets cap preseason with loss to Toronto Raptors, 119-114

Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images

The Brooklyn Nets played their fourth and final preseason game on Friday night, visiting the Toronto Raptors. Viewers can only hope the first half wasn’t a true preview of their regular season. Not only did Brooklyn fall behind by double-digit immediately — though that part might not bother many — but they looked overmatched by an average Toronto squad.

The rookie point guards, starter Ben Saraf and especially backup Nolan Traore, couldn’t handle Toronton’s ball pressure; each turned it over three times in their respective first quarter stints…

rookie PGs look *rough* rn

(MPJ has not tried on defense yet this preseason) pic.twitter.com/YvZPUJ5IeB

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 17, 2025

It was a struggle for Brooklyn to even initiate their offense inside 40 feet, not just making them ineffective but nearly unwatchable. Sixteen first-half turnovers for Brooklyn led to run-out after run-out for Toronto; perhaps the defining play of the first half was a broken play in which Ziaire Williams missed a potential poster dunk, only for RJ Barrett to sprint the length of the floor and dunk it home without seeing a body.

There was one clear bright spot of the first-half, and it was #8 overall pick Egor Dëmin making his preseason debut, returning from the plantar fascia issue that has largely sidelined him since Las Vegas Summer League.

Pregame, Dëmin opened up a tad about his injury…

Egor Demin said his plantar fascia injury goes back to predraft workouts & will need to be monitored: "For sure. Probably. Its going to take some time probably to really get rid of everything. But as long as its not (dangerous), as long as its safe for me to play, Im good to go."

— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) October 17, 2025

He didn’t look burdened by it on Friday evening. The Russian teenager entered with nearly 11 minutes to go in the second quarter and was not subbed out until deep into the third quarter, playing 19 straight minutes and easing some concern about that foot injury.

While Dëmin wasn’t at supreme ease facing Toronto’s ball pressure, he found other ways to contribute. He forced a turnover by making a nice defensive rotation and cut baseline for a layup almost immediately. Dëmin was the beneficiary of some silly Raptors fouls, once on a 3-point attempt and a couple times in the bonus, leading to six easy points. But he also hit a couple threes, including this one on a deep pull-up…

parade pic.twitter.com/FbOxKKjb2y

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 18, 2025

That might have been enough for a Nets fan to walk away from a largely dismal first half with a smile, with Dëmin also forcing a couple misses around the rim with his length. Listen, we’re taking all the positives we can get at this point.

Luckily, there were more such positives in the second half, even after Dëmin checked out of the game. Brooklyn stopped turning it over every time down the floor and ultimately crawled back into the game. Ziaire Williams scored 20 points off the bench. Nic Claxton put up a 13/11/5 double-double while turning it over five times, and when he wasn’t trying to instigate a fight with Jakob Pöltl, made some nice offensive plays out of the high post.

The star of the show, though, was Michael Porter Jr., who made up for Cam Thomas’ ice-cold game (1-of-10 from the floor) by getting hot and staying. MPJ shot 12-of-20 on mainly jumpers to score 34 points, though he gave plenty of them back on defense, perhaps the ideal skillset for a tanking Nets team.

With the Nets playing to win down the stretch, it’s telling that Danny Wolf saw zero action on Friday, Drake Powell played just two measly minutes, and Traore was stapled to the bench in the second half. Only Dëmin and Saraf got chances to prove themselves in something of a high-pressure situation, and Saraf redeemed himself a little bit by making a couple nice plays down the stretch…

Ben Saraf with a very nice take for the lead, bench loving it: pic.twitter.com/VfweXzaMfZ

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 18, 2025

The Nets took a late lead after initially falling behind by 18 points, but a win was not in the cards. Scottie Barnes, who finished with 31 points, made some big plays down the stretch, and Brandon Ingram hit a wide-open 3-pointer that gave Toronto the lead for good. Of note: in the last five minutes, Jordi Fernández went to a lineup with Cam Thomas at the point, playing without any rookies on the floor, though Saraf would ultimately re-enter.

It’s fitting that the final nail in the coffin was courtesy of a defensive breakdown. The Nets showed two to the ball, and even if Michael Porter Jr., had busted tail in help, it might not have mattered. He didn’t, though, and earned a talking-to from Fernández…

Jordi had a long talk with MPJ after this play, and you can see him imploring MPJ to sink near the baseline. For all of his shot-making tonight, his defense tonight… pic.twitter.com/USD84ppidQ

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 18, 2025

If the rookie ball-handlers can just be competent — and again, not easy for teenagers to do in the NBA! — the Nets just might be watchable this season. The first half was a punch in the gut, but they did rebound in the second half, finishing the game with 40 attempts from deep and assisting on 74% of their baskets, with Dëmin showing flashes. Bring on the season!

Final score: Toronto Raptors 119, Brooklyn Nets 114

Next Up​

The regular season. The Brooklyn Nets open on the road, a game against the Charlotte Hornets set to tip-off on Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. ET.

• Boxscore: Toronto Raptors 119, Brooklyn Nets 114 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Toronto Raptors 119, Brooklyn Nets 114 (Video) – NBA
• Egor Demin post-game (Video) – YES Network
• Egor Demin tells The Post how he’s dealing with his massive Nets expectations ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Egor Demin debuts with promise as Nets drop preseason finale to Raptors ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. dominates Raptors with wild stat line – Richard Pereira – Clutch Points
• Nets player grades: Michael Porter Jr. drops 34 in loss at Raptors – Sharif Phillips-Keaton – USA TODAY

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-scor...-raptors-119-114-egor-demin-michael-porter-jr

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

ANALYSIS: What should we expect from Ben Saraf in his rookie season?

Zhizhao Wu/Getty Images

The #26 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, one of the five first-rounders belonging to the Brooklyn Nets, did not have an impressive Las Vegas Summer League. Ben Saraf averaged 7/2/4 on 30% shooting in three appearances, and despite an impressive drive here and there, the jumper looked even wonkier than advertised. But, as one anonymous front office member told Spotrac’s Keith Smith, “We’re not too worried about the shooting here. Both guys (including Nolan Traore) just finished up their seasons overseas. They were both pretty wiped out.”

Memories of Summer League, as they do, quickly fizzled away. Fast-forward to October, and Saraf was battling Tyrese Martin as the most hyped player at training camp. Both publicly and privately, Nets players and personnel praised Saraf as a poised, physical player who was further along than his 19 years would suggest. Jaws weren’t dropping, but eyebrows were certainly raising.

And over three preseason games thus far, you’ve seen why. After three preseason outings totaling 59 minutes played, Saraf seems ready for the challenge of the NBA. That’s a half-step below being NBA ready; he won’t be good right away, but he doesn’t seem out of place, no small feat for a 19-year-old guard drafted at the end of the first round. In the second Macao game against the Phoenix Suns, he scored just four points, but dropped 11 assists compared to just three turnovers. He’s up to 17 assists in total vs. just six turnovers; Traore, for comparison, has six assists to nine turnovers.

It’s early, but it’s something. One studious draft analyst told me: “Just really like the strength with pace and feel. Can get to some spots and knows what to do with it. I think he has the fewest critical issues of the rookie group.”

Now, that may seem like an odd opinion considering Saraf still hasn’t shown much in the way of outside shooting, an issue this analyst concedes may limit the rookie’s longterm ceiling: “But I think I can throw him out there and feel more comfortable with how he’ll manage the game than the rest of the group.”

Ding ding ding. That sentiment right there is why Saraf may just start on Opening Night for the Brooklyn Nets, and why he may see very few minutes in Long Island this season, compared with his draft classmates. Missing jumpers is one thing, but as long as he takes them (no immediate guarantee), Saraf shouldn’t be such a terrible shooter that the offenses collapses around him. There will be moments of struggle, but he is a strong, physical driver who generally knows where the ball should go. On this Nets team, that’s enough to play on day one.

What did Ben Saraf show last season?​

It’s only been six exhibition games for Saraf in a Brooklyn uniform, and just two against legitimate NBA competition. Thankfully, his solid start to the preseason comes as no surprise after a thorough investigation into his 2024-25 season, which he spent with Ratiopharm Ulm, the second-best team in Basketball Bundesliga (the highest level of German pro ball).

Saraf appeared in 30 regular season games, 16 Eurocup games, and 13 playoff games in a long season for Ratiopharm, per ProBallers, averaging about 12/3/4 on 30% 3-point shooting in those 59 total appearances. Yeah, he probably was wiped out by Vegas.

Over those 59 games, it was the aforementioned strength/pace/feel combination that made him a first-round pick…

These clips also demonstrate some of Saraf’s defining traits: He is always trying to get back to his left hand, and he is quite fond of the deceleration, those slow final steps on drives that often allow the NBA’s below-the-rim finishers to discard their defenders. And Saraf is certainly is that: of the 504 field goals he attempted in the halfcourt with Ratiopharm last season, he dunked it just three times. The 6’6” lefty clearly has gifts, but vertical explosiveness is not one.

However, physicality just might be. He loves to initiate contact on drives, a skill Nets fans have already seen in his incubatory NBA career. Once Saraf gets a defender on his hip, they will be treated to an elbow or a shoulder, and the first-round pick is pretty solid about making sure these don’t become offensive fouls.

“I think I started doing it like last year or maybe even a little bit before,” said Saraf during training camp. “I love this move. I feel like I can get my defender off balance, and then it’s going to be an easier layup. And I work on it here a lot. And I feel like also the physical part is really important. And I’m getting a lot bigger here, and nutrition and everything, it’s all part of it. So, yeah, I think this is the point.”

He’s not going to be consistently bullying NBA defenders right away, but this is a long-term, marketable skill that combats some of his other athletic limitations. Traore, for example, is clearly going to be a bit overwhelmed with NBA size and strength at first, but Saraf’s physicality might make him playable right away.

Outside shot pending, the Brooklyn Nets likely do earnestly believe that Saraf can retain some value off the ball. You can never have too many smart decision-makers and transition ball-handlers anyway, but betting that Saraf’s craft will translate to a variety of play-types does not seem so foolish to me. Here, he’s reading the floor, he’s decelerating into a bucket, it just starts with a closeout instead of a high pick-and-roll…

This was not the norm for Saraf at Ratiopharm — he controlled the ball on just about every half-court possession, and with a clap of his hands could restart the possession at the top of the key. In fact, he’ll have to work on that Trae Young-esque (sorry) tendency to loaf by half-court after he gives the ball up. But if the Nets are betting that Saraf’s skillset is a tad more versatile than many believe, they do have some proof-of-concept to work with.

As for the outside shot … who knows, really? That being said, he did shoot nearly 37% on catch-and-shoot threes last season, taking fewer than two per game. Saraf took the vast majority of his jumpers off the dribble, but his shot diet will undergo a major shift with the Nets. Synergy Sports tracked him as making 68 off-the-dribble jumpers last season; just a dozen were 3-pointers. In fact, well over one-third of his half-court shot attempts came from the midrange with Ratiopharm. That’s just not gonna happen in the NBA, nor should it; Saraf has acknowledged as much.

“It’s more 3-point shots or shots at the rim, free throws, less mid-range. Those are things I used to like to do, but now I need to adjust and they’re really helping me with that. So, I’m working on my 3-point shot, my ability to get to the rim, so I think those are the main differences for me.”

What to look for this season​

To be clear, Brooklyn Nets fans should be excited about Saraf. Again, it’s been just two exhibition games against NBA competition, but between that and training camp, a 19-year-old picked at #26 overall looks like he belongs. That’s great news! So, what do we want to see from Saraf this season, aside from making as many jumpers and being as feisty on defense as possible?

First, I’ll be honed in on his conversion rate close to the best. It’s no secret that to be a productive NBA guard, Saraf is going to have to do most of his damage at the rim, no matter where his career takes him. If he can approach a 60% conversion rate (55% might be more realistic) in the restricted area and supplant that with a high foul-drawing rate, that will be cause for celebration.

To that end, he’ll need to diversify his finishing bag a little big. Some more two-foot finishes here and there and a bit less reliance on the deceleration would do him well; occasionally, he’s prone to plays like these…

The deceleration doesn’t do any good on these plays; Saraf actually relinquishes his advantage and plays much smaller than his 6’6” frame would suggest. I guess the questions really are: how much can craft and positional size make up for a lack of explosion and flexibility (think Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his elastic limbs)? And how much craft does Saraf really possess?

Second, I’ll be honed in on his last-second decision-making. You can say this about every single young ball-handler in the NBA, of course, and Saraf is no different. Given his reliance on that deceleration and preference to play off of one foot, he can find himself lost on drives after picking up his dribble a bit early. Coupled with his lack of burst, this occasionally leads to turnovers like this one…

one Ben skill I'm watching: pic.twitter.com/raTE7dTTg3

— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) October 16, 2025

Of course, this dovetails with his ability to get to two feet and change pace a little bit more on his drives. Saraf’s handle is undoubtedly a strength; he can reject pick-and-rolls and respond to reaches with a quick change-of-direction move, but can he take that extra dribble in the lane a bit more often? (Long-time readers have seen me ask this question all. the. time.)

Other times, feels as though Saraf predetermines shot-or-pass before he’s really gotten to the last line of help defense…

That second play isn’t such a poor decision, but there is a wide-open 3-point shooter sitting in the corner. Saraf makes a lot of passes, and has some funky deliveries in his bag, but if he can throw some more dimes deeper into his drives…look out.

Third, as this is part of the outside shooting question, I’ll be locked in on what Saraf does against teams that play off him. With Ratiopharm, he saw two defenders at the level quite often, with the big man hedging out before recovering to the roller. This is a more common pick-and-roll coverage in Europe, where there are fewer Damian Lillards shooting 30-footers off the bounce and Daniel Gaffords catching lobs above the square. (The Nets, actually, hedge-and-recovered more than any other team in the NBA last season.)

But putting two defenders on the ball is willingly putting your defense in rotation — duh, three defenders have to guard the other four players. Saraf made many of his best passes in these situations, seeing over the defense and reading the weak-side help. At times, he also just drove around the big man or split the two defenders, whichever way led him back to his left hand.

The NBA isn’t going to be a total 180 for Saraf…but it might be a 120? Besides simply going under screens, teams are going to play drop coverage against him, daring a midrange shot. Or they’ll simply switch, a coverage Saraf faced occasionally with Ratiopharm. The results were middling, with slower big men often being able to retreat and live with a jumper in isolation…

(Between that second clip and the fact Saraf wears #77, can you tell his favorite player is Luka Dončić?)

---

Skills! Areas for growth! Concerns! Two-and-a-half years after blowing up the remnants of a contender, the Brooklyn Nets are finally about to embark on a rebuild. At least the potentially rewarding part; a 26-win season in 2024-25 certainly qualified as the start of a new era, but without the young talent to match, it often felt like a time suck. Now, the Nets have a collection of young talent, and though we have no idea how good any of them will be just yet, it’s safe to say Ben Saraf is off to a decent start.

Ben Saraf could be a reliable, physical ball-handler for years to come, a perfect complement to the star Brooklyn hopes to land in either the ‘26 NBA Draft or on the trade market as they look to become relevant once again. Saraf likely won’t change the course of the franchise by himself, but he could be something. And at #26 overall, that’d be a win for the Nets.

Our next chance to see Saraf in action if Friday night at 7:00 p.m. ET, when the Nets visit the Toronto Raptors to conclude the preseason.

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-anal...should-we-expect-from-ben-saraf-brooklyn-nets

 

[Brooklyn Nets]

Brooklyn Nets ‘pausing’ BK Block’ for ‘revamp’

The BK Block, the section of Barclays Center dedicated to members of the Brooklyn Brigade and other long-time fans, will be “paused” for this season, according to sources both in Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, the Nets parent company, and the Brigade who have collaborated for seven years.

In an exclusive statement to NetsDaily, a BSE Global official described the “pause” as a necessary “revamp” of the Block which has provided fans who successfully auditioned for the section with reduced price tickets as well as Nets gear. The Block was noted for its rowdy fans, big signs and witty chants, particularly in big games … as well as its unsurpassed camaraderie. Other teams saw it as model and why not?

pic.twitter.com/3qFKJRwyTQ

— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) October 15, 2025

Appropriately, it was located in Section 1 of Barclays Center and a page on the Nets official site became the hub for its members.

“We are pausing BK Block to rebuild the program, making it bigger and better … just a revamp. The participants will be part of the conversation about how we improve it,” a BSE official said. Indeed, a fan familiar with the Block said there will be conversations among members of the Brigade, former Block members and BSE and Nets staff.

Not long after, the Nets informed Block members of the news….

Rumors of a some sort of change in the Block’s status had been rumored for weeks when there was no word of plans for the coming season, now a week away.

Bobby Edemeka, the founder of the Brigade, told ND that his group will go on even without the collaboration, stressing that the Block and Brigade have “distinct and separate identities.”

“Just to be clear, the Nets control the BK Block, not the Brooklyn Brigade,” said Edemeka whose family which includes his three triplet brothers has been the driving force in the foundation and operation of the Brigade. “The BK Block is a seating section at Barclays Center and the Nets control that section and the distribution of tickets for that section.

“While members of the Brooklyn Brigade members typically represent the vast majority of the Nets fans seated in the BK Block section, the Brooklyn Brigade and the BK Block maintained distinct and separate identities. The Brooklyn Brigade has always been an organization run by Nets fans for Nets fans and that continues today.”

In recent seasons, particularly the last two — coinciding with losing seasons — neither the Nets nor the Brigade have been altogether happy with the way things have been running, per multiple sources in both organizations. With the Nets rebuild, fan interest has waned with more and more empty seats.

There were also complaints from inside the group, particularly among long-time members. One said that the program “grew too quickly, the screening of members was poor,” adding that there were “fractures” as a result. Moreover, the increases in ticket prices as well as the constant losing were an issue for the fans. “It’s a mess.”

Said another of the planned conversation with fans, “We’ll see what kind of feedback they’re looking for because things were really bad the last few years.”

BSE, particularly the Marketing Department, was unhappy with things, particularly the drop-off in fan attendance, and initiated a review that included changes in the internal management of the Block as well as outreach to some long-time fans. Said another long-time fan, “a recalibration was needed.” The final decision to pause the collaboration came in recent weeks.

Of course, BSE will benefit, having another section to sell tickets at full price at least for this season, when everyone, from owner to fans, expects mounting losses, leavened only by interest in the Flatbush 5 (so named by a long-time denizen of the Block.)

There are no indications what the “bigger and better” Block — if indeed that name survives — will look like. Barclays Center is the midst of a $150 million renovation that will reconfigure some sections while adding new amenities, most of which will appeal to the higher income end of the fan base spectrum.

Bottom line though is simple: one of the most appealing aspects of Nets fandom, a rollicking group of fans — some multi-generational — who developed friendships and were proud of their loyalty and creativity — won’t be around for a while. The connection to the team was strong with special meet-ups with players and insider access to coaches and executives. There were bus trips to Madison Square Garden and Wells Fargo Center. On several occasions, Sean Marks delivered cases of beer to the Block.

Said Edemeka, “The Brooklyn Brigade is extremely grateful for the seven seasons of close partnership, camaraderie, and fun moments of Nets fandom we experienced as members of the BK Block.”

Source: https://www.netsdaily.com/nets-news/100057/brooklyn-nets-pausing-bk-block-for-revamp