Brooklyn’s Ben Saraf is staring down his second NBA season, and if his rookie year numbers are any indication, he’s got a mountain to climb. The 20-year-old guard, a 2025 first-round pick, averaged just 7.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, shooting a rough 39.6% from the field and a dismal 21.1% from behind the arc.
“The Game Has Slowed Down” and the Stats Don’t Lie
Saraf himself knows it’s go-time. He recently told Joshua Halickman of The Jerusalem Post that ‘During my workouts over the past few months, the Summer League and our team practices, I already feel like the game has slowed down for me a bit.’ That’s a good sign, right? Because last year, it looked like the NBA pace was a real struggle for the rookie while learning the point guard role. He’s putting in the work, too, saying he’s ‘focusing a lot on improving my shooting, getting stronger physically, learning how to take care of my body and how to prepare for games.’ These are fundamentals he admitted you learn during your first NBA season, and he’s happy about that.
Summer League Struggles and a Looming Position Battle
Even with that offseason focus, his California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League numbers showed he still has work to do. He bumped his scoring to 10.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals, but his shooting percentage actually *dipped* to 37.3% from the field, though his three-point shooting did climb to 33.3%. An improvement from deep, but still not where a first-round pick needs to be. His strengths and weaknesses were on full display, and he clearly understands what needs fixing. But understanding isn’t enough when you’re fighting for minutes. Saraf is heading into training camp later this month in a direct competition with Mikel Brown Jr. and Nolan Traore for minutes at the point guard spot.
The Nets invested a first-round pick hoping Saraf would reach his potential. Now, with training camp right around the corner, he’s got to show he can be that better player, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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