Nets' Utilization of G League Affiliate is More Important now Than Ever

Nearly every Nets' rookie of the past decade has seen time in Long Island as a developmental tool.

Apr 10, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Tyson Etienne (10) brings the ball up court against the Atlanta Hawks during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The rebuild mentality has taken over for the Brooklyn Nets. With five rookies and eight total players under 23 years of age, developmental minutes cannot be equally distributed while keeping veteran pieces happy.

Especially given the amount of raw prospects on the Nets' roster, it may be time to use Long Island, Brooklyn's G League affiliate, to ensure no one goes underdeveloped. In the past few seasons, players like Drew Timme, Tyrese Martin and Tyson Etienne have made a name for themselves in Long Island and earned time on the main roster.

The players locked into seeing some G League time this season are EJ Liddell and Etienne, Brooklyn's two-way contract personnel. But a pair of newcomers to the Nets also have a good shot at seeing quality minutes in Long Island before making NBA appearances.

Ben Saraf

Brooklyn's No. 26 pick clearly needs the most refinement before he can contribute in the league. The transition from the Israeli Basketball Super League and EuroCup to the NBA will mainly involve adjusting to the speed of play.

In Long Island's 2024-25 season, Killian Hayes appeared in 34 games and could be a comparison for how Saraf may look, given their international roots and left-handedness. Hayes averaged 16.7 points, 7.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in the G League.

As a 6-foot-7 guard, Saraf has some positional versatility, but based on what we have seen thus far, he is unlikely to play over his fellow rookie point guards and veteran options at shooting guard. Giving the 19-year-old time to work on his overall efficiency and outside shooting with Long Island will be more beneficial than throwing him into the fire of NBA play.

Drake Powell

Mar 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Drake Powell (9) dribbles as Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The North Carolina product has generated a fair amount of hype despite not playing in NBA Summer League. Powell recorded the highest standing and max vertical leap at the NBA combine, while also placing in the top 5 of the lane agility and three-quarter sprint tests for all forwards in attendance.

Third-year Nets' wing Dariq Whitehead played in 29 games with Long Island last season. He averaged 12.7 points and 1.2 steals per game, shooting 33.5% from three-point range. Along with Powell, Whitehead represents the promising future of three-and-D players for Brooklyn. They will need to compete against each other for playing time on the main roster.

Coming off a left knee tendinopathy injury, Powell's role on the Nets is unclear. He will be competing with established players such as Whitehead, Ziaire Williams, Terance Mann, and Haywood Highsmith for minutes.

While Powell and Saraf are the two most likely rookies to see a heavy dose of playing time in the G League, it would not come as a shock if all of Brooklyn's newcomers spent some time with Long Island.