The Brooklyn Nets (1-3) have not had the kind of performance in the Las Vegas Summer League that they were hoping for when the event started last week. In the grand scheme of things, Brooklyn not making it to the semi-finals is not what makes or breaks the summer league as the important part is evaluating the rookies from the 2025 NBA Draft.
With that being said, the Nets will face the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday in the consolation round to end their time in Las Vegas and Brooklyn will most likely be looking to the players towards the end of the roster to see what they can do. Players like Drew Timme and Ben Saraf did not play in Wednesday’s 94-90 win over the Orlando Magic for various reasons so it’s possible that more players will be given the night off.
The good news for Brooklyn is that three of the four rookies that were able to play, Drake Powell was unable to play due to injury, have had at least one game that showed what they can do. Saraf is the one rookie that has yet to have his breakout game in the way that Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, and Danny Wolf have so if he is able to play, Saraf could end the summer league with a bang. Here’s what you need to know to get ready for the game:
How To Watch
- Date: Friday, July 18
- Time: 6:00 PM EDT
- Location: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
- Channel: NBA TV
Probable Starting Lineups
- Guard: Egor Demin
- Guard: Ben Saraf
- Forward: Caleb Daniels
- Forward: Grant Nelson
- Center: Danny Wolf
Philadelphia 76ers
- Guard: Judah Mintz
- Guard: Keve Aluma
- Forward: Hunter Sallis
- Forward: Johni Broome
- Center: Izan Almansa
Who To Watch
Saraf has played in three of the four games that the Nets have played in Las Vegas and his best game in the summer was in a loss to the Knicks when he dropped 11 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 29 minutes of playing time. For the summer league, Saraf is averaging 7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 30.4% from the field and 53.8% from the free-throw line.
While Saraf’s counting stats are fine considering that he has been playing in various roles on the team, his efficiency is the part that has been concerning during his time in Las Vegas. Saraf was regarded as the rookie in Brooklyn’s 2025 class with the best mix of scoring and passing and to his credit, he has put both of those skills on full display when he has found the right opportunities.
Saraf was rested for Wednesday’s win over the Magic so it’s possible that he is shut down for the last game of the summer league, but if he isn’t, it would be important to see if he can put it altogether for one game. If Saraf can show that he can be an efficient player while putting the stats needed to show that he can be an impact player, that would go a long way to boosting his confidence ahead of the 2025-26 season.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets vs. 76ers summer league game preview: How to watch, lineups