Takeaways From the Nets' Impressive Win Over the Wizards

The first half on Saturday was easily the best 24 minutes of basketball that the Nets have played all season. Brooklyn led 80-47 at the halftime break. They scored 46 points in the first quarter, their most points in a single quarter all season. Their 80 points at halftime were the most in a single half all season. The Nets forced 12 turnovers in the first half, leading to 18 points.

After so many slow starts recently, it was a breath of fresh air to see the Nets storm out of the gates to a big lead and put the game away early. Against a shorthanded Washington team, this was exactly what Brooklyn should have done, and they did. They won the rebounding battle by a ton, dished out an astounding 21 assists, and did almost everything right. What a half for the Nets.

2. Bench bigs shine

The Nets' big man depth has been a bright spot for most of the season, and Saturday's game was another outstanding performance for them. In particular, the bench bigs were fantastic. Day'Ron Sharpe turned in another strong game against the Wizards, with 19 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Rookie Danny Wolf was excellent off the bench as well, putting up 16 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Both of these guys are in their early 20's, giving Nets fans some real things to be excited about going forward. Throw in Nic Claxton, and the center depth and rotation are in a really good spot as the rebuild continues.

3. Ben Saraf steps up

Out of all five Brooklyn 2025 first-round picks, Ben Saraf has been the forgotten man for most of the season. He's spent a lot of time in the G-League, while the other rookies have been making plays and showing flashes in the NBA. Saturday was Saraf's time to shine, and he stepped up in a big way.

He played 24 minutes off the bench, posting ten points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. His length defensively caused him to be a pest all afternoon, and he was a great distributor of the rock as well. He helped the Nets get out in transition and burn the Wizards for all of their turnovers. Saraf proved he could be a valuable player for Brooklyn in the not-too-distant future.

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