Testing for the Nets draft picks begins Thursday at 5:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2 with tape delay on YES at 11:00 p.m.
It’s hard to recall the last time Brooklyn Nets fans were so excited about Summer League. Makes sense, though. Egor Demin and Nolan Traore are the highest Nets draft picks of the Sean Marks era, Demin, the eighth pick being the franchise’s highest pick since 2010 when they were still in New Jersey and took Derrick Favors at No. 3.
And they’re are five of them!
Although Drake Powell is sitting out the Las Vegas 30-team tournament, the Nets will still have Demin and Traore as well as their two late firsts, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf, on the squad as well as three players from last year’s Brooklyn and Long Island rosters: forward Tosan Evbuomwan, Tyson Etienne and Drew Timme. At least one player destined for an Exhibit 10 and possible two-way, Grant Nelson, the 6’10” multifaceted big from North Dakota.
The first thing to look for is the offense. Expect it to be a a precursor to what the Brooklyn Nets will show starting in October when they play preseason games in Macao, China … a free-wheeling style leading to easy baskets and a lot of 3-point attempts.
“It’s all a work-in-progress. But it’s been great so far in practice,” said Wolf of having three point guards and a point center on the court at the same time. “and I’m just excited to finally get on the court,”
“Obviously no other team ever did the same thing in the draft. I think for me and the other guys it’s important to be really as close as we can be to each other, not just to compete, which obviously is a big part of it, but also to learn from each other on the court and off the court,” said Demin.
“I think it’s pretty good to have five first-round picks like this because we can grow together and build chemistry together,” said Traore. “Maybe we even can be a starting five one day. That would be crazy.”
How much time will SL coach Steve Hetzel play the four together on the court is something to look for as well. And how will he take advantage of having the best passer in the Draft class, Demin, and the one with quickest first step, Traore, on his roster? Will Demin take the advice of his mentor, Andrei Kirilenko, and be more aggressive, hoist some threes? Can Wolf hold down the paint on defense? And what will we see from Saraf, probably the least known of the five?
For all the hand-wringing about taking five first rounders, some of the concern reasonable at least from a development perspective, there is certainly some rationale for taking on so many quick processors. That is the Nets plan for this season and beyond. The two NBA Finalists, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, are the model going forward as both Sean Marks and Jordi Fernandez have noted, repeatedly. Move the ball, hit the open man, put an emphasis on deep rotations, team play — what one pundit called 100 games of depth — rather than combining superstars and hope for the best.
There is fan disappointment that Powell and to a lesser degree Isaiah Whitehead won’t be on the court, but there are other storylines. Terry Roberts, as we’ve noted, has come back from being shot on a Philadelphia street corner in 2024, will get court time. Nelson is fighting for a two-way … apparently quite literally. Nice shiner.
Also, the Nets stole Laker fan favorite Quincy Olivari, a 6’3” combo guard from the Buss collection. He’s one of several G League veterans hoping for the big break that will get them to the big show.
There will be plenty of foreign press on hand with two Israelis (Saraf and Wolf), a Russian,(Demin), a Frenchman (Traore) and a Brit (Evbuomwan) on the roster. Saraf who chose No. 77 and Wolf who’s going with No. 18, are the first two Israelis to play together on an NBA team and it should be noted both numbers have significance in the Hebrew language, 77 symbolize strength and resilience, 8 life. They are a big deal in Israeli sports.
- Nets enter NBA Summer League with plenty to watch — and a feel-good story – Brian Lewis – New York Post