G League. Two words that can sound ominous from the outside — a place where players are “sent down,” “assigned,” or lost in basketball limbo. Around that circuit, there’s a reputation almost mythic in its severity: once you step onto that sparse, bouncing floor, you might never come back.
But for some, it’s worth the descent. Some players are swallowed up by that vortex, only to reappear months later in obscure leagues in Estonia or Latvia. Others need only a brief stay — a short apprenticeship in the G League — before returning through the front door, better equipped, more confident, and harder to ignore.
This season, Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf have both been those players — and Wolf, especially, embodies the case for patience with the G League.
When the Nets opened camp, Wolf was pushed to the periphery. In summer league he was buried in the rotation; in preseason he flashed moments but not consistency. When the regular season began, he barely registered. Brooklyn sent him briefly to Long Island, its NBA G League affiliate, to get minutes, regain confidence and re‑calibrate. The league that once sounded like a dead end became exactly what he needed.
It paid off.
Wednesday night, even in a 119–111 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Wolf turned in perhaps the best performance of his young NBA career. He scored 17 points — not a personal record, but the kind of efficient, all‑around contribution that shows real growth. He rebounded, he defended, and when the second half tightened, coach Jordi Fernández kept him on the floor — a meaningful sign of trust.
Wolf isn’t your classic center; Brooklyn already has bigger bodies to anchor the paint. Instead, he functions more as a stretch four — a tall forward with shooting range and surprising playmaking ability. Through his first 10 NBA games, he’s shooting an eye‑opening 50 percent from three‑point range, and his ability to handle the ball, initiate offense and make dynamic decisions looks more Euroleague than traditional big man.
The highlight reel against Dallas was telling: a between‑the‑legs dribble, a hesitation move, a step‑back three over a defender — a sequence more typical of elite guards than players listed at 2.11 meters. His off‑ball movement now creates opportunities before he even touches the ball, a nuance that bodes well for both Brooklyn and, potentially, the Israeli national team.
“It took about a month for Danny Wolf to get into Brooklyn’s rotation,” wrote Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “But it didn’t take him long to look like a rotation player. He has exceeded expectations with his shooting.”
Fernández echoed that sentiment: “Danny always plays like he belongs here. In preseason there were guys ahead of him, but he made the most of his time with Long Island, and now he’s taking advantage of his opportunities in the NBA. There’s a lot he can do at his size, and he continues to show it.”
Wolf has yet to don the senior Israeli national team jersey, though he has said that representing Israel is a major goal. Israel’s national program has long lacked playmaking big men with perimeter skills — and Wolf’s shooting and ball skills could provide a boost, whether at EuroBasket qualifiers or international summer tournaments.
Saraf, also 21, has taken a different but complementary path. He began the season in Brooklyn’s starting lineup, saw his role shift amid rotations and roster changes, and has come into his own as a reliable bench presence. In December, he’s averaged around eight points and 2.5 assists, showing a calm command on the ball and taking strides defensively.
His three‑point shot — the bread and butter for guards expected to space the floor — remains a work in progress at 27.5 percent, but Saraf’s confidence and court awareness continue to grow with every minute.
Brooklyn entered the season with modest expectations. Built around scorers like Cam Thomas and Michael Porter Jr., the Nets were thought to be in a rebuilding phase. Instead, contributions from young players like Wolf and Saraf have helped stabilize a surprisingly competitive roster.
For both Israelis, the NBA G League didn’t serve as exile — it served its intended purpose: development, confidence and opportunity. It wasn’t a detour. It was the launch pad they needed.