Report: Brooklyn Nets Confident in Guard-Heavy Draft Strategy

Sean Marks and the Brooklyn Nets front office raised some eyebrows by using four of their NBA-record five first-round picks on guards. While that led to some concern about a potential congestion of players with overlapping skillsets, it appears to be a calculated move the Nets aren’t too worried about.

During the Las Vegas Summer League, Spotrac NBA insider Keith Smith had in-depth, anonymous conversations with front office members and coaches from several teams. While speaking with a member of the Nets' front office, Smith gained insight into Brooklyn’s decision to pair Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf despite their similar playmaking styles.

“A lot of people see them as being similar players, and that’s somewhat fair. But we think they can play together. Look at OKC and Indiana. They play a lot of ballhandlers and creators,” the Nets front office executive said. “We’re not too worried about the shooting here (Summer League). Both guys just finished up their seasons overseas. They were both pretty wiped out.”

While referencing two of the NBA’s top teams might sound ambitious, there’s no denying that the league has shifted toward a guard-heavy style of play. For the Nets, having athletic and versatile guards like Saraf and Traore could help make up for the lack of size on the floor.

Both players played in the Las Vegas Summer League, gaining early experience and chemistry as a backcourt duo. In three games, Traore averaged 7.3 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game, while Saraf posted 7.0 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 rebounds per game.

While Traore was inefficient throughout the Summer League, he is fresh off being named the FIBA Champions League Best Young Player after averaging 13.4 points, four assists and 2.4 rebounds per game Saint-Quentin of France's LNB Pro A league. Scoring wasn’t a problem for him throughout his overseas career, even setting records for most points in a game by a player under 18 (25 points) and under 21 (27 points).

Saraf also had an impressive career overseas, earning accolades like U18 EuroBasket Tournament MVP and Rookie of the Year in the Israeli Basketball National League. Most recently, he averaged 12.8 points and 4.6 assists per game while helping Ratiopharm Ulm reach the finals of Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga.

Though Saraf and Traore share similar skillsets and both operate in the backcourt, the Nets appear to be embracing the league’s evolution and seem to have a plan to develop their two exciting young guards.