There are usually two goals in preseason. The first and most important one is getting through it healthy. If you lose key players, it makes your life a lot harder and puts extra pressure on everyone else
to make up for an absence. The second is to start establishing your style of play before the season starts. Preseason is all about establishing good habits and building the foundation that will carry you through the 82 game season. For the Brooklyn Nets, tonight was the first chance to start putting their lessons from training camp into use.
The team hosted Haopel Jerusalem out of Israel, and it was a festive atmosphere inside of Barclays Center. Fans at the arena gave the road team plenty of cheers and after the game ended, players from Haopel took pictures with fans and took time to shake hands and make them feel welcome and appreciated. All in all, everybody who attended the game in person got what they paid for: some highlight plays from the visitors and a W for the home team.
Final score: Brooklyn Nets 123, Haopel Jerusalem 88
We didn’t get to see the entire Flatbush Five as Egor Demin and Drake Powell are out with injuries, but one player really put on a show for the home crowd. Nolan Traore was the first substitute in the game due to Ben Sarag’s early foul trouble, and the French teenager made the absolute most of it.
Throughout his 18 minutes, we saw Traore consistently make the right decision, find the driving angles to get to the rim, and keep the offense humming. It’s all about finding that comfort and if he continues to put good days together, he’ll find a steady role on this team.
“His speed is his superpower,” Jordi Fernandez said in postgame. “How fast he is and [how] he can touch the paint. He’s gotta keep shooting the ball and shooting with confidence. And then defensively, do what we’re about: pick up 94 feet and be aggressive. We need a lot of ball pressure. Hes done a great job, so I’m happy with his growth so far [and] his work ethic. And now, we’re gonna wanna see him get stronger and sustain his speed for longer periods of time. So, very happy with him.”
the other Nets rookie had a good debut outing as well. Don’t let the foul totals discourage you too much, Ben Saraf put forth a quality game. Saraf had nine points and six assists on the night, but his consistent drives to the rim were the most impressive aspect of his game tonight.
“I’m always trying to be aggressive going to the rim,” Saraf said in postgame. “It also opens up the lanes for me and if its not for me, to my teammates and others. It’s always goof as a team to be aggressive going to the rim.
For the Nets, consistently getting two feet in the paint is essential to what they want to accomplish on offense. It also helps when one of their franchise pillars looks like the best version of himself.
Clax finds the rhythm
At Media Day, Nic Claxton made it a point to mention that he’s back at full strength and feeling like his old self. Like a lot of Nets, Claxton had a rough 2024-2025 as injuries and frustrations compounded to make it a disappointing season. When he’s at his best, he allows the Nets to fly all over the court and throw wrenches into the opponent’s offensive sets. If tonight was an indication, we might be in line for a terrific Claxton season.
In 15 first half minutes, the big guy had 11 points and eight rebounds. Beyond the impressive numbers, seeing Claxton fly out on screens, bring the ball up the court, and knock down an above the break three pointer should have Nets fans feeling excited. His chemistry as a pick and roll partner with Cam Thomas is also worth a shout
His play impressed his teammates, and has them excited for what’s to come in 2025-2026.
“When he plays like that,” Terrance Mann said, ”it brings a ton of energy and takes us to a new level. We expect that out of him and we’re gonna demand that out of him. He has a great attitude about it and you saw that tonight.“
The Nets did a lot of things well on the night, but can still clean some things up. As Fernandez noted, the team turned it over nine times in the fourth quarter. The lead was never in doubt of course, but you always want to put a full 48 minutes together no matter the situation. I was in the house for this game and did a little postgame breakdown on the court!
The team walks away from this night feeling good about their performance and excited for what’s up next. They’ll be off for a few days and will return to the court in a brand new environment.
Next up
Everybody grab your passports! The Nets will be traveling to China to play two against the new look Phoenix Suns. Make sure you have a nice breakfast handy as tip off will be at 8 AM on Friday, October 10.
