Nets rookie guard Ben Saraf suffered a left ankle sprain within the first half of Lengthy Island’s 127-116 loss to the Maine Celtics on Saturday, ending with seven factors, 4 rebounds and 5 assists in 16 minutes. Brooklyn introduced Monday that he might be reevaluated in 10 days.
Saraf and fellow rookies Nolan Traore and Danny Wolf had been recalled from their newest G League project on Monday.
The twenty sixth general choose opened the season as Brooklyn’s place to begin guard, averaging 3.2 factors, 2.2 rebounds and three.2 assists over his first 5 appearances whereas taking pictures simply 21.7% from the sector and 16.7% from 3-point vary.
Since then, Saraf has slipped out of the Nets’ rotation, logging minutes in solely two video games after Nov. 3, each in rubbish time. Terance Mann and rookie Egor Demin have taken on the majority of the playmaking load with Saraf on the bench.
The 19-year-old owns a 133.5 defensive ranking in seven video games, the bottom on the roster. After logging simply two minutes in a 119-109 loss to Toronto on Nov. 11, he didn’t draw back from why. He acknowledged he has an extended strategy to go defensively and is aware of that’s the place his progress should begin.
“I think he [Jordi] wants more on the defensive side,” Saraf mentioned. “I believe the final two video games I had a few breakdowns on protection. So, it’s actually necessary for the group. I believe that is the principle factor.
“I feel like I’m a capable defensive player, I think I just need a little more focus on some possessions.”
In 4 G League appearances, Saraf is averaging 14.2 factors, 3.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.0 steals whereas taking pictures 46.5% from the sector and 28.6% from deep. In Lengthy Island’s season opener on Nov. 7, he turned the primary participant in franchise historical past to attain 20 or extra factors off the bench in his debut.
Even with the ankle damage slowing him down, the Nets stay optimistic about Saraf’s long-term trajectory. Brooklyn drafted him with the assumption that his dimension, tempo management and pick-and-roll really feel would ultimately translate as soon as the sport slows down for him. Staff officers and workers members have persistently pointed to his work ethic as a motive to not overreact to early struggles. These across the group additionally word that his processing velocity and decision-making are inclined to sharpen with prolonged reps, one thing troublesome to return by throughout Brooklyn’s 2-11 begin.
Saraf has additionally earned reward behind the scenes for the way he has dealt with the demotion to Lengthy Island. Coaches say he has embraced the assignments, utilizing them to get dwell reps he merely can not get with the massive membership now. His willingness to play via errors, watch movie and take teaching has stood out in a season the place the franchise is evaluating which younger gamers will help form the following period.
“He’s taking positive steps,” head coach Jordi Fernández mentioned of Saraf throughout coaching camp. “A kid that belongs, as far as like size and physicality and being able to play make for his teammates… He’s going to be a very good shooter. He puts the time in, doesn’t say much, listens to us. For being 19 and a rookie, he behaves like a vet, and that’s what I love about him. That’s why I think that his adjustment to this league, being as young as he is, is just going to keep trending up.”
