Nets fans have been looking forward to their record five rookies in the first round. But after just one game, they’re already down two heading into Friday’s home opener thanks to a pair of ankle sprains.
Drake Powell (right ankle sprain) and Danny Wolf (left ankle sprain) will miss the game against the Cavaliers, as will veteran Haywood Highsmith (right knee surgery).
Wolf suffered his injury during Wednesday morning’s shootaround and missed the season-opening loss at Charlotte.
He walked both before and after without a boot or a limp, with only a slight turnover.
Powell twisted his ankle in the fourth quarter of that loss, stepped on an opponent’s foot and committed a foul, causing him to limp off the court with 4:38 to play.
Ben Saraf was the only guy from the team’s rookie class to start and get the nod at point guard.
He finished with eight points, seven rebounds and four assists in 20 turnover-free minutes. The Israeli became the second-youngest starter in team history at just 19 years and 191 days old, but he shot just two of seven and missed all his attempts from deep, turning away a few open looks.
Egor Dëmin backed Saraf after missing most of training camp and preseason with a plantar fascia tear.
He had 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep — a Nets rookie record for a debut — five boards, two assists and a steal. The Russian still hasn’t shown the ability to beat defenders and get paint touches.
“My condition is getting better,” Dëmin said. “I get stronger and feel better when I play against these types of athletes. I have more self-confidence than defense. And of course there is a lot of room to work on things like playing against pressure, not losing the ball, being under control, trying to organize the team better and trying to be a leader. But we are on the right track.”
It was only the fourth time in the Nets’ NBA history that four rookies debuted in the same game, and the first since November 2, 1990 (Derrick Coleman, Tate George, Jud Buechler and Kurk Lee).
After Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups became one of many across the country arrested Thursday in connection with federal investigations into illegal sports betting and poker games, former Nets assistant Tiago Splitter was named Portland’s interim head coach.
Heat guard Terry Rozier and 10-year veteran and former NBA assistant Damon Jones were also among those arrested, officials announced at a news conference in Brooklyn.
One of the charges referred to the way gamblers threatened Jontay Porter if he did not agree to the bets. Porter – the brother of Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. – was banned from the NBA for life and pleaded guilty to fraud conspiracy in the same investigation. He will be sentenced on December 10 in Brooklyn.
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