Ben

Saraf

This was the first time Saraf has suited up since Nov. 11, he injured his ankle during a G League game earlier this month, and this was the first time since then that he checked in for Brooklyn. He logged 29 minutes in the ugly loss and was one of the more productive players for the Nets. The lopsided score certainly altered the rotation, but Saraf could earn more minutes after leading the team in assists.

Dëmin had his best game as a Net on Friday, reaching double figures for the sixth time, with this being his first 20-point game. The rookei guard recorded a complete stat line in 30 minutes on the floor. Since replacing Ben Saraf (DNP-CD on Friday) in the starting lineup, Dëmin has not been productive enough to be a must-roster player in 14-team leagues. However, he is definitely worth watching in the aftermath of Friday’s performance.

Saraf injured his left ankle during a G League game on November 15. With the Nets already sending fellow rookie Nolan Traoré to the G League, that may be an indication regarding Saraf’s availability for Friday. However, even if he can play, Egor Dëmin will play most of the available minutes at point guard. Fantasy managers can leave Saraf on the waiver wire, but he should be more valuable later in the season.

Recently sent to the G League for more playing time, Saraf injured his left ankle during a game on Saturday. The Nets announced on Monday that he will be re-evaluated in 10 days. While this injury does limit Saraf’s on-court development, it does not impact fantasy basketball.

Thomas, who exited Wednesday’s win over the Pacers during the first quarter, has been diagnosed with a strained left hamstring. His absence impacts multiple players, most notably Tyrese Martin. Martin played 27 minutes on Wednesday and may be moved into the starting lineup. Rookies Egor Dëmin and Ben Saraf are also potential replacements. Also, Thomas’ absence will result in increased usage for Michael Porter Jr. and Terance Mann, with the former scoring 32 points on Wednesday.

While Dëmin is sitting for injury management reasons, Williams fell hard during Sunday’s loss to the Spurs. Both absences will impact the Nets’ rotation, with Jalen Wilson likely being the biggest beneficiary. However, he would not be worth streaming in most leagues, as the starters are available. Rookie Nolan Traoré may pick up a few minutes due to Dëmin’s absence, but fellow first-round pick Ben Saraf remains the starter.

The Nets used all five of their first-round picks in June’s draft, but Saraf is the only rookie to have cracked the starting five for opening night. He outplayed Nolan Traoré during the preseason and Egor Dëmin was out due to injury, so Wednesday’s lineup is unsurprising. Dëmin will be on a minutes restriction, but he will play. The other four starters were expected, with Mann and Porter making their official Nets debuts.

Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez stuck with the same point guard rotation for the team’s second game in China, starting Nolan Traoré with Saraf coming off the bench. And once again, the latter was more effective and played more minutes. Traoré played 17 minutes, finishing with four points (2-of-5 FGs), two rebounds, three assists and four turnovers. It’s difficult to truly gauge the Nets’ point guard competition with Egor Dëmin (foot) unavailable, making it difficult to fully trust any of the three rookies with a draft pick in redraft leagues. However, Saraf may be more worthy of a roll of the dice based on how he played in China compared to Traoré.

With Egor Dëmin unavailable due to a plantar fascia tear, Traoré and fellow rookie Ben Saraf have made up the point guard rotation for the Nets’ first two preseason games. After Safar received the starting nod in Brooklyn’s opener, Traoré was part of the first unit on Friday. Both provided limited production, with Saraf (9/1/0/1) logging 19 minutes and Traoré 17. While there remains hope that Dëmin will be healthy by opening night, Traoré or Saraf could be Brooklyn’s starting point guard on October 22 against Charlotte.

Saraf was selected with the 26th pick in the draft in June, and he got the starting nod in his first preseason game for the Nets with fellow rookie guard Egor Demin sidelined. He dealt with foul trouble in the first half, committing five of them in 11 minutes. He should get more opportunities throughout the year, but it’s difficult to imagine him making enough of a contribution to be rostered in standard leagues.