Development, development, development.
That is the name of the game for the Long Island Nets, who kicked off their season on Friday night against the Greensboro Swarm, the Charlotte Hornets' affiliate. While Long Island ultimately fell 121-111, there was plenty to take away, especially with some of Brooklyn's young players in the mix.
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With first-round picks Drake Powell and Ben Saraf having played ample minutes alongside rookie Joshua Jefferson and two-way players Grant Nelson and Tyler Bilodeau, let's take a closer look at their performances from Friday night.
Ben Saraf
Saraf, now in his second year after being drafted in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft, didn't deliver the shooting performance you'd expect.
The 20-year-old finished with eight points on 3-of-14 shooting, including a rough 1-of-8 outing from beyond the arc. Entering this season, the biggest question surrounding Saraf's game was if he could find consistency from 3-point range.
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Despite those struggles, however, he still managed to impact the game as a facilitator. The 6'6" 20-year-old guard dished out seven assists, which led the team. That's what makes him interesting. When his shot isn't falling, he can create chances for his teammates, but that also comes with turnovers, and he committed three in 32 minutes. But a 2.3-to-1 assist ration is seen as a very good number in the NBA.
His passing ability has been known. The next step in his development, though, is developing into at least a respectable scoring threat. The Nets' backcourt in Brooklyn is a logjam, especially with Nolan Traoré's strong play to open the season.
For Saraf to get his chance in the NBA this season, he'll need to be more than a facilitator.
Drake Powell
The only other member of the Flatbush 5 who played on Friday was Powell. Like Saraf, the UNC product had a tough night on offense.
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Powell tallied just six points on 2-of-6 shooting in 25 minutes, missing all three deep attempts. Despite the rough night, he managed four rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block.
Similarly to Saraf's game, though, that was nothing new. Powell's defensive potential has been the most promising element of his game, given the length and athleticism he boasts with a 6'6″ frame and a 7-foot wingspan, ideal for a defender. He showed that facet of his profile again vs. Greensboro.
However, his offense remains a work-in-progress, at best. During Summer League, the 22nd pick in 2025 pick struggled mightily with his jump shot, shooting a brutal 1-for-28 from the field, including zero makes on 14 deep attempts.
If he can develop into a reliable catch-and-shoot option while becoming someone who can defend multiple positions at the NBA level, that's a valuable player. Coming away with a legitimate 3-and-D guy at the 22nd overall pick would be a really nice win for the Nets towards the end of the first round.
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The issue, though, is that he is now in Year 2 and doesn't look particularly close to becoming that type of player. For someone with his defensive tools, even mild offensive improvements would make a big difference.
Obviously the upside is there, but Powell has to start putting the pieces together.
Joshua Jefferson
Perhaps the most exciting part from Friday was simply getting an extended look at Joshua Jefferson. After all, it's been a long time coming.
He was selected with the 28th pick in June's draft, a byproduct of the Julius Randle-for-Nic Claxton trade, and played minimally throughout Summer League as thst trade took until the eve of Summer League to be finalized. He couldn't even practice with his Nets teammates. Then, he missed Brooklyn's preseason due to a lower back injury.
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Given all of that, Friday was the first real look that fans got on the Iowa State product, and he didn't disappoint, coming away with 15 points, six rebounds, and three assists, shooting 5-of-9 overall and 3-of-7 from three. Not a bad first impression.
Standing at 6'9" and 240 pounds, Jefferson stands out because he is very well-rounded and brings a little bit of everything to the table, hence his solid box score. There's always a role for someone like that in the NBA, especially with the size that he offers. It's why the term "point forward" was commonly used to describe him throughout the pre-draft process.
Given the abundance of wings up in Brooklyn, it's going to be tough for him to crack the NBA rotation right away, but Friday was a strong showing in the first-round rookie's first legitimate chance.
Tyler Bilodeau
If there was one thing the Nets knew they were getting when they selected Bilodeau with the 43rd overall pick in June's draft, it was his shooting ability.
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Throughout 64 games at UCLA in two seasons, he shot a whopping 43.8% from three-point range. It was on a significant sample size, too, attempting 233 threes as a Bruin. His 46.0% last season was the highest of any player taken in the 2026 Draft.
While it's just one game, that skill was on full display during Long Island's opener. The UCLA product finished with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists, and five steals, while shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 3-of-7 from deep.
Beyond the shooting, though, what jumps off the page is his five steals in 25 minutes. With that outing, he became the first Long Island Net in franchise history, dating back to 2016, to log five steals in a G League debut.
That matters because one of the biggest concerns about Bilodeau's game coming out of college was his defense. So seeing him make such a noticeable impact on that end right away matters…
Speaking with NetsDaily at Long Island's Media Day last week, he emphasized how much he feels his game has already grown since Summer League, adding that defense has been "a big improvement."
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"I feel like I've improved so much since Summer League," the No. 43 pick said. "I think a big improvement of mine has been defensively, trusting myself a little more, and getting used to guarding the perimeter. I didn't do much of that last year."
Obviously, Bilodeau's top trait is shooting, and when he gets his opportunity in Brooklyn, it'll most likely be because of that calling card. But at 6'8" and 228 pounds, he certainly has the size to blossom into at least a serviceable defender, and Friday was a step in that direction for him.
Grant Nelson
Grant Nelson's start to the season on Friday is exactly what he needed to get off on the right foot. The 24-year-old finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds, including six offensive boards while shooting 8-of-16 from the field in 27 minutes.
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He missed all five attempts from beyond the arc, which isn't ideal, but it was promising to see strong overall scoring output and activity on the glass as well as a willingness to take the deep shot. The Alabama product also used his size and athleticism on defense, coming away with a block and a steal.
The shots didn't go his way, especially from deep, but that's an area of his game Nelson spent a lot of time developing during his rehabilitation after patellar tendinitis cut his season short last year.
"I think it's extremely important with the direction that the game has been going in," he told us at Media Day. "I mean, I think it's just adding another part to my game, being versatile in that way. Most bigs can shoot now. So being able to do that, I think it will definitely help me out in my career."
At 7'0", Nelson is fascinating because he offers the exact tools that the Nets could potentially need in Brooklyn. With his athleticism, he brings a little bit of everything, but most notably rim protection ability, which Long Island's parent club currently lacks.
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Proving that he deserves an NBA chance, though, especially on a crowded roster, starts with taking advantage of his chances with Long Island, which Friday was an example of. Now he must build on that.
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Long Island is back in action Saturday night against the Swarm, then faces the College Park Skyhawks, the Hawks affiliate on Tuesday, before their home opener Friday against College Park at the Nassau Coliseum.
