Ranking the Nets’ Rookies in Terms of Potential

The team’s lottery pick in guard-slash-forward Egor Demin is the obvious No. 1 here, seeing a legitimate guard skillset packed within a 6-foot-9 frame.

Demin is essentially all potential, seeing scoring, high-level passing and 3-point shooting, none of which has consistency just yet. Still, if things hit, Demin will be a player capable of playing several different positions, and thriving in all of them.

2. Nolan Traore, Guard

French guard Nolan Traore ranks second. Formerly one of the top players in the class, he didn’t see massive amounts of growth with Saint Quentin of the LNB Elite, but still has keen scoring and passing instincts at lead guard that could help him blossom.

Traore has unteachable horizontal speed, and if he can adjust to the NBA quickly, he could very well re-find the skill that once made him a potential top-five pick.

3. Danny Wolf, Forward

At No. 3 is forward Danny Wolf, pound-for-pound now one of the more interesting players in the entire league. At 7-foot he plays like a wing, handling the ball, driving, passing and shooting in abundance. He offers on-ball reps in the pick-and-roll and elsewhere, but still shows off more traditional center skills with shot-blocking and rebounding, too.

There’s no guarantee Wolf hits. His athleticism hampers him often, and scoring inefficiency and turnovers plagued him even in college. But if he develops correctly, he’ll be highly unique and a matchup nightmare for years to come.

4. Ben Saraf, Wing

A four is handling wing Ben Saraf, who feels slightly further away from stardom than the rest, despite offering a nice skillset. He has legitimate handling and passing chops on the wing, but no true off-ball fall-back skills with a shaky jumper and lack of athleticism.

Saraf’s pathway to becoming a good NBA player is clear through his feel for the game. But his pathway to stardom is somewhat murky.

5. Drake Powell, Guard

North Carolina one-and-done Drake Powell ranks last, though his fifth-place ranking here is far from a negative. In fact, in terms of projectable roles, the 6-foot-5 Powell’s is perhaps the most clear cut in slashing, shooting and defending.

A lack of star-power certainly isn’t a bad thing in Powell’s case, as he can hyper focus on things that will keep him on-court. Though he was formerly one of the top players in the class in high school.