Nets followers received a peek into the longer term Thursday night time at Thomas & Mack Middle, as Egor Dëmin, Nolan Traoré, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf made their Summer season League debuts.
Drake Powell, the No. 22 general choose within the 2025 NBA Draft, suffered a knee damage throughout the pre-draft course of and can sit out Summer season League as a precaution.
Drew Timmie, who signed a two-year contract with the Nets in March, led all scorers with 22 factors on 10-for-13 taking pictures within the staff’s 90-81 loss to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, although the highlight remained on the wholesome members of Brooklyn’s historic rookie class.
It was a considerably quiet night for Dëmin, the No. 8 choose in final month’s draft, who tallied eight factors on 2-for-5 taking pictures with 4 rebounds and one steal in 23 minutes. Enjoying principally off-ball, the Nets’ rookie struggled within the first half, failing to attain, committing two turnovers and selecting up two fouls.
Nonetheless, Dëmin sank two deep 3-pointers within the second half, showcasing sound taking pictures mechanics. His lack of assists was stunning for a participant hailed as one of many draft’s prime passers, however these ought to come as he adjusts to Brooklyn’s system.
“It was a special moment of accomplishing dreams of these little kids that were trying to get here,” Dëmin informed reporters in Las Vegas. “It’s a great experience…Some things went how we wanted them to go, some things no. It’s a great time learning.”
Past Timmie, Traoré stood out as one of the vital spectacular Nets participant on the court docket. The No. 19 choose overcame an early ankle roll, ending with 13 factors, three rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes, displaying electrifying velocity on drives to the rim. He excelled at drawing contact, changing all six free throw makes an attempt, and received a 3-pointer to fall within the second quarter. The 19-year-old penetrated the paint at will, and it’s clear he’d thrive with higher spacing and finishers round him.
Much less might be mentioned in regards to the Summer season League debuts of Saraf and Wolf, the Nos. 26 and 27 picks. Saraf shot 1-for-5 from the sphere, whereas Wolf missed all 5 of his makes an attempt. Nonetheless, Wolf was lively on the boards, grabbing six rebounds in 20 minutes, and Saraf displayed a good deal with and slick strikes off the dribble.
Regardless of their taking pictures struggles, the performances of all 4 rookies hinted on the Nets’ imaginative and prescient for a flexible, dynamic roster.
“This is the way our roster is constructed,” Nets summer season league head coach Steve Hetzel mentioned. “The league is now multiple ball-handlers, multiple attackers. If you look at the team that just won the championship, they’ve got Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who can both put the ball in the paint. We feel like the more people that we can have attacking and making plays, the better we are.”
