Rookie development and draft position are at the top of the Brooklyn Nets' priorities this season. After rolling with a veteran-heavy rotation early to open the year, the team is giving several rookies an opportunity to earn rotation spots. Following stints in the G League, Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf have played extended NBA minutes over the last week.
While both rookies have shown promise, Jordi Fernandez was non-committal about whether they will stay with Brooklyn or be sent back to Long Island.
“Nothing is guaranteed, and it's not just them, it's everybody else [too],” Fernandez said before Monday's win over the Charlotte Hornets. “I thought that [Danny and Ben] did a nice job competing and playing extremely hard [in Milwaukee]. Ultimately, that's what I want from everybody. There are going to be opportunities throughout 82 games, not just for them but for everybody else. I thought they did well, and that's why they're gonna play again tonight.”
The last three games marked Wolf's first extended NBA minutes this season. Meanwhile, Saraf returned to Brooklyn's rotation after starting the first five games of the season at point guard, then being sent down to the G League.
Will Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf remain with Brooklyn amid NBA call-up?
Both players impressed during Saturday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Wolf scored a team-high 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 from three with four assists and two turnovers in 30 minutes. Saraf posted 10 points, seven assists and three turnovers on 4-of-8 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from three in 29 minutes.
Those performances earned Wolf and Saraf another opportunity on Monday vs. the Hornets.
Wolf continued to make a strong case for a spot in Brooklyn's frontcourt rotation. The rookie scored 10 points, all of them in the fourth quarter, on 4-of-9 shooting with seven rebounds and an assist in 19 minutes. Wolf threw down a poster dunk over Miles Bridges that is in the running for the Nets' top highlight of the season.
Meanwhile, Saraf struggled for most of the game, scoring seven points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field and 1-of-7 from three with two assists and two turnovers in 18 minutes.
The Nets have a crowded frontcourt rotation featuring Nic Claxton, Day'Ron Shapre and Noah Clowney. However, Wolf's positional versatility bodes well for his ability to secure a rotation spot moving forward. The 21-year-old has played both forward spots and center during his NBA minutes.
Finding minutes for Saraf could prove more difficult for the Nets in the short term. Egor Demin and Tyrese Martin have solidified their place in the point guard rotation early this season. Rookie Drake Powell and veteran Terance Mann have also played extended minutes in the backcourt.
Wolf and Saraf will have another opportunity to prove their worth on Wednesday when the Nets travel to face the Chicago Bulls.
