The Brooklyn Nets are the first team in NBA history to roster five rookie first-round picks. Yet, the team's draft selections have sparingly seen the floor during an apathetic 0-7 start. Nets fans may soon see the majority of their rookies playing together, but it's unlikely to be in Brooklyn.
The Nets assigned Ben Saraf, Nolan Traore and Danny Wolf to their G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, on Tuesday. All three were ruled out for Wednesday's road matchup with the Indiana Pacers. The move comes ahead of Long Island's season-opener on Friday at Nassau Coliseum.
Jordi Fernandez, who served as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers' G League affiliate from 2014 to 2016, recently spoke about the importance of collaboration between Brooklyn and Long Island.
“It’s huge, because we’re not different teams, we’re the same team, and we’re the same club,” Fernandez said. “All the coaches are coaches for the same club. We’ve had great communication; we have a system in place… It’s more important for the players to see what their path is to get better. Obviously, the work that you put in day to day is important, but there’s no more important thing than playing real minutes. And real minutes are in the NBA, real minutes are in Long Island. Those are very, very, very important.
“I’ve been in the G League as a head coach. All of our players but one [Michael Porter Jr.] have played in the G League. The majority of our coaches have been there. So that’s something we embrace and we believe in. That’s how we’re gonna do it.”
Egor Demin — Brooklyn's first lottery pick in 15 years — is the only Nets rookie with a solidified rotation spot early this season.
Nets send rookie trio to G League ahead of tip-off tournament
Meanwhile, Saraf started the team's first five games before Fernandez pulled him from the rotation in favor of journeyman Tyrese Martin. The Israeli floor general struggled to produce against NBA competition, averaging 3.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists on 22/17/67 shooting splits in 18.2 minutes per game.
Traore has looked the least NBA-ready of Brooklyn's three rookie ball-handlers during his limited opportunities. While Drake Powell has shown promise, he's been unable to stay on the floor due to a pair of ankle injuries. The No. 22 pick re-injured his ankle during his first game back on Sunday and is likely to miss an extended period.
Wolf also suffered an ankle injury the day of Brooklyn's season-opener. However, the former Michigan star was available to make his NBA debut during Monday's Minnesota Timberwolves matchup. With Michael Porter Jr. out for personal reasons, Wolf had a case to join Brooklyn's rotation, but Fernandez did not insert the rookie, playing him just three minutes in garbage time.
With Brooklyn trotting out a veteran-heavy rotation, Saraf, Traore and Wolf are likely to see extended G League minutes in the coming weeks. The Nets have had success developing draft picks through Long Island under General Manager Sean Marks. Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe spent extended periods in the G League before becoming full-time members of Brooklyn's rotation.
