Nolan Traoré and Ben Saraf gave the Brooklyn Nets exactly the kind of preseason jolt they were looking for in Tuesday’s 34-point win over the Charlotte Hornets. Both first-round rookies looked sharper, more decisive and more comfortable, and both strengthened their case for the backup point guard job.
Saraf got the first crack at it. Coach Jordi Fernández checked him in at the 3:33 mark of the first quarter, and the Israeli guard wasted no time making his presence felt.
On his first possession, he pushed downhill and found Moritz Wagner in the corner. Right after that, he drilled a three-pointer.
Saraf finished with eight points on 3-for-7 shooting in 15 minutes, and the two triples he knocked down offered a welcome sign after he shot 21.1% from deep last season.
Traoré’s turn came later, with his first appearance arriving at the 6:58 mark of the third quarter. The French guard never even took a three, and that seemed to be the point: he kept putting pressure on the rim.
Time after time, he got two feet into the paint, either kicking out to open shooters or finishing through traffic with defenders reaching at him. He ended with 10 points on 3-for-4 shooting in just 10 minutes.
That kind of rim pressure matters for Traoré, especially after he shot 45% at the rim last season. Among guards with more than 1,000 minutes played, that mark was the worst in the group, so Tuesday’s showing stood out as a meaningful step forward, even in a small sample.
The encouraging part for Brooklyn is that both rookies are part of the Flatbush Five, the team’s five first-round picks from last season. Egor Dëmin already looks like the one who made the biggest leap, turning into a better downhill scorer and likely locking down a starting spot for the Nets. If Traoré or Saraf can make a similar jump, Brooklyn could solve a problem general manager Sean Marks didn’t address in the offseason.
That backup point guard opening is still there, and rookie Mikel Brown Jr. is the likeliest candidate to handle it in the regular season, though he is dealing with a left ankle sprain. On Tuesday, Keon Ellis started, which shifted Dëmin to point guard.
The battle for that reserve role will continue through the rest of the preseason, with three games left on the schedule: Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers, next Monday against the Washington Wizards and next Wednesday against the Miami Heat.
In Other News...
Nets Camp Battle Just Got More Serious With Two Young Pieces Limited
Josh Minott has spent the summer and early part of camp trying to show he belongs in a crowded Brooklyn rotation picture, and coach Jordi Fernandez has noticed. Fernandez has already praised Minotts work in the teams competitive camp environment, while the forward himself has talked about how important it is to keep competing at this stage of his career. For a roster trying to sort out roles and identify who can handle the demands of the season, that sort of internal push matters.
The intrigue around the young group only grows with the health picture around it. Center Danny Wolf will wear ankle braces this season after dealing with a previous sprain, while lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr. is still working back from an ankle injury even as he sounded upbeat about the team at the annual Fan Fest. Brooklyn has made a point of leaning into development, but the status of those two young pieces adds another layer to a camp battle that already has the feel of something more than just an audition. [Read more 🡒]
Nets New-Look Rotation Just Gave Fans A Reason To Buy In
The early signs of Brooklyns new-look rotation were encouraging in a preseason romp over Charlotte, a 124-90 win that offered a little of everything the Nets have been hoping to see. They hit 20 three-pointers, came out firing from deep and never let the Hornets settle in, using a steady second-half push to turn a comfortable lead into a lopsided finish.
Michael Porter Jr. led the way with 16 points, while Julius Randle added 13 as Brooklyns offensive flow looked sharper than it has at other points in the exhibition slate. It is still preseason, of course, but the combination of perimeter shooting and control for long stretches gave the Nets something tangible to point to as they continue sorting out how this rotation fits together. [Read more 🡒]
Egor Dmin Is Giving The Nets A Very Intriguing New Option
Egor Dmin gave the Nets a useful glimpse of what he might become in the preseason opener, finishing with six points and five assists in 18 minutes while showing a more confident downhill game. The young guards physical development stood out as he attacked the lane with more purpose, and the ball movement he created fit neatly with Jordi Fernndezs offense, which asks its playmakers to keep pressure on defenses.
For Brooklyn, the appeal is less about one box score line than the possibility that Dmin can grow into a real rotation option if this version keeps showing up. The next few preseason games should tell the team more about how consistently he can handle the pace, create for others and translate that progress into a larger role. [Read more 🡒]