Opening weekend in Long Island wasn’t just about tipping off the season, it was an early checkpoint in Brooklyn’s ongoing rebuilding experiment.
Three first-round picks in different stages of development all got their first taste of the G League during a pair of home games against the Capital City Go-Go.
Nets head coach Jordi Fernández explained the logic behind his plan, serving as a reminder that the G League isn’t punishment, but part of the process.
“We have a system in place. It’s important for
players to see what the path is to get better,” Fernández said. “I’ve been in the G League as a head coach. All of our players but one have played in the G League. It’s something that we embrace and believe in.”
Danny Wolf, Ben Saraf, and Nolan Traore, part of the Nets’ quintet of first-round picks, aka the Flatbush 5, all saw significant playing time, and the hierarchy became pretty clear.
With Saraf and Wolf called back up to Brooklyn shortly after their impressive showings, it’s become obvious that Traore is the rookie who could use the most polishing.
Nolan Traore: The Work in Progress
You can see the speed. The lateral quickness. The energy. But you can also see the struggle. He’s playing too fast, often barreling into traffic without a plan, landing on two feet with nowhere to go. Sometimes it’s a turnover. Sometimes it’s a pass that forces his teammates into awkward shots. Once, it was a pass straight into the stands.
The effort is there, without question. You can see it when he’s chasing guards around screens, staying in front of quicker players and contesting jumpers. But his quickness won’t prevent him from getting bounced around by stronger guards, and until he adds muscle, it’s going to be tough to assert himself.
In his debut, Traore scored 12 points on 25% shooting with four turnovers. The next night, 15 points on 36%, plus five turnovers.
While playing with Saint-Quentin of France’s LNB Pro A league, Traore was named the FIBA Champions League Best Young Player after averaging 13.4 points and a team-leading 5.1 assists while shooting 50.7% from the field and 31.4% from beyond the arc. Heading into the 2025 NBA Draft, he was viewed as the fastest prospect available.
It’s far too early to make a verdict on Traore’s future, but it’s clear that the adjustment process hasn’t been kind to him so far. He is the youngest of the five, of course, and the sixth youngest player in the league.
Ben Saraf: Settling In
You can tell he’s already made strides since his rough start with Brooklyn. The game has slowed down for him as he appeared comfortable finding open teammates and being Long Island’s primary ball handler. He showed controlled aggression with the ball in his hands, a clear improvement from the timid, hesitant version we saw when he first arrived in Brooklyn.
At the end of the first half Sunday, he even called his own number, scoring on an isolation from the perimeter where he pulled off a smooth spin move before converting at the rim.
On Saturday, he led the team with 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting. On Sunday, 15 points and three assists.
The question with him has always been defense and outside shooting. His closeouts and rotations in Brooklyn were shaky. Part of that can just be chalked up to athletic shortcomings, but some of it’s just about understanding where to be while getting comfortable inside the system.
“The group is doing a very good job to help me,” Saraf said. “It’s easy to go from one [Brooklyn] to another [Long Island] because they are pretty much the same. The players here are very communicative, so that helps.”
Danny Wolf: The Steady Hand
Danny Wolf looked like the veteran of the bunch, even though he’s just as new. (He is the oldest of the five, however, even 70 days older than Noah Clowney.)
On Sunday, he was calling out plays, directing teammates to their defensive assignments, and even bringing the ball up the floor.
“That’s one of our staples. Being communicative and talking both offensively and defensively. It just takes one person, and I feed off of their energy. If they talk I talk, and vice versa. It’s a group effort and I do my best to lead by example and with my voice.”
There’s a real confidence in how he operates, although he still needs to keep his dribble a little tighter in traffic.
When he did get tangled up, he adjusted by using his impressive court awareness to pass his way out of bad situations.
Throughout both games, he used his unique mix of size, touch, and footwork to consistently create and capitalize on opportunities in the paint.
During his first game on Long Island, he totaled 15 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. On Sunday, he was the team’s leading scorer with 25 points to go along with 13 rebounds.
He also talked about the continuity between Long Island and Brooklyn.
\“We’re one big group. Obviously, Long Island is under the Brooklyn umbrella. My position coach here and my position coach back in Brooklyn are in communication. They talk about the same things, watch the same film and help me. They do a great job sharing ideas with each other.”
Grant Nelson: The Grit Guy
He may not be a first-rounder or a headline-grabber, but he’s the kind of player every team quietly needs.
The 23-year-old seven-footer from Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, dove for loose balls, fought for second-chance points, sprinted back on defense while scoring eight points and grabbing seven boards on Sunday.
While the stats were respectable, a box score doesn’t really capture the value that he brings.
“That’s just part of my game. I value all of those things. It’s what I picked up from every coach that I’ve played for. I think it’s all those little things that will ultimately win the game,” Nelson said. “Screening, getting rebounds, playing defense, those are all small things that you can’t see unless you watch the game.”
The Nets remain the only NBA team with an available two-way roster spot, and the Alabama product should be viewed as a legitimate candidate to fill the opening. Nelson is athletic enough to switch onto multiple positions, setting an NBA Combine record in a lane agility drill back in May which would make him a valuable defensive piece for a team that’s struggled to get stops.
A Glimpse at the Future
For the organization, this weekend wasn’t about a win or loss. It was about catching a glimpse of what the future may hold.
Saraf and Wolf seem ready to climb. Nelson showed the type of hustle that rebuilding teams in search of an identity dream of. Traore on the other hand, is still very raw.
And for the Nets, that’s the point of the G League, to offer a place where potential can breathe, mistakes can be made, and young players can grow without the noise.
