Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Saraf came to the NBA as the 26th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after the Nets saw what he could do with the ball in his hands. However, playing in the NBA is different than playing in any other league and Brooklyn got their first look at how Saraf adjusted. Afterwards, he gave his reaction to playing in the NBA for the first time.
“It’s different, for sure. It takes a little time to get used to it, but I’ll do it. That’s why I have these games, you know, to go through these practices. I’ll get through it, I’m sure,” Saraf said during an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly. Prior to the summer league, Saraf spent the 2024-25 season with Ratiopharm Ulm of the German BBL and he showed enough on tape to interest Brooklyn.
Advertisement
“No, not that much,” Saraf continued when discussing what has surprised him from his time in Las Vegas, per Azarly. “To be honest with you, the pace and the athleticism are on different levels than what I’ve been used to up until now. But, you know, I’m going to grow, I’m getting better, I’m getting stronger, and I’m getting used to it.”
Saraf, 19, played in three games in the summer league and averaged 7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 30.4% from the field and 53.8% from the free-throw line. While Saraf showed flashes of what he could do at the next level in terms of his ability to create offense for himself and others off the dribble, he also did not make a three-pointer on 1.3 attempts per game, a flaw that he has to overcome in some way.
The good news for Saraf is that he will be playing on a Nets team that has players like Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas that can shoulder the burden of making shots from long-range. It seems like Saraf understands that and is looking forward to it. “[The spacing] is easier. You know, the spacing, the rules, with the three seconds in the painted area. So it’s definitely good for the players,” Saraf explained.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets’ Ben Saraf reacts to experience in NBA Las Vegas Summer League