Mar 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Vj Edgecombe (77) is tripped up and fouled by Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Saraf (77) during the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Ben Saraf Displays Improvement Despite Nets' Loss to 76ers

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Jed Katz | Last updated Mar 15, 2026 10:00 PM ET

Saturday's 104-97 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers featured minimal offense from the Brooklyn Nets. As expected, they failed to produce on that end of the floor, posting 36-35-86 shooting splits while committing 17 turnovers. The 76ers were nearly as bad in the shooting department (46-12-81 splits), but they managed to stave off a late-game comeback.

Quentin Grimes' 28 points led the game by a wide margin, as Brooklyn failed to have any player reach 16 points. Danny Wolf led the Nets with 15 on 4-of-9 shooting. So if there wasn't a standout offensive player, we can only look at how the young core performed. One rookie was efficient for the second game in a row, showing real promise.

Ben Saraf, the No. 26 pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, has struggled for most of the season. The rookie guard is averaging 5.5 points and three assists per game on poor shooting splits (37.3% from the field, 22.4% from three).

However, the Israeli hooper has put together three straight performances in which he was efficient in limited minutes. Over his last three games, he's put up 10.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, five assists and a steal per game on 54.6% shooting from the field and 88.9% from the free-throw line (nine attempts).

Against the 76ers, Saraf notched 12 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals on 6-for-13 shooting. It was the most amount of shots he attempted in a game, and the rookie made just about half of them, a promising sign for fans.

Ben Saraf 12 Points, 5 Assists, 4 Rebs full highlight vs 76ers I 25-26 NBA Season pic.twitter.com/xwbaW3AzeL
— Hoops Showtime (@HoopsShowtime12) March 14, 2026

Saraf displayed great poise despite facing a tough defense. As the main floor general and offensive initiator, he was able to navigate screens and ball pressure, finding open teammates and driving through contact for tough finishes.

On the defensive end, he was a disruptor, poking loose balls. At 6-foot-5 with nearly a 6-foot-9 wingspan, scouts knew the potential he had on that end entering the NBA.

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Saraf has been the most disappointing of the five rookies, but the rest of the class has exceeded expectations in year one. With Egor Dёmin out and 15 games left in the regular season, now is the time for him to show the organization what he can do with more minutes.

Brooklyn's goal isn't to win at this point. The Nets are in a dogfight for the top odds at the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. Saraf's performance in Philadelphia is the ideal situation for these remaining games: show development, but don't play well enough to sway toward a victory.

This article first appeared on Brooklyn Nets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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