Wolf is still separated from the pack.
After Day’Ron Sharpe was sidelined against the Toronto Raptors with a left glute contusion, it seemed like the perfect chance for Danny Wolf to earn meaningful minutes. The 6-11 rookie was coming off a standout G League performance two days earlier, when he posted 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting with 13 rebounds and two assists against the Capital City Go-Go.
However, that assumption proved premature. Wolf did play, but not until garbage time, checking in with the Nets down 117-102 and just 2:10 remaining. It was hardly a setting to judge his impact, though he did score his first NBA points on a pair of free throws with 1:29 left and grabbed a defensive rebound in the final seconds.
The 27th pick, and the oldest member of the Flatbush Five at 21 years old, dealt with an ankle sprain to start the season and has appeared in only two games since. Head coach Jordi Fernández recently praised him for staying connected to the group throughout his recovery.
“He’s been a great pro, doing his work to get back healthy, and that’s why I give him so much credit,” Fernández said. “Again, it’s an ankle sprain and you don’t want that to happen, but it happens. It happens multiple times in this game, and having that positive mindset of, ‘I’m going to strengthen up whatever issue I have and be ready to help my teammates’ and that’s what he usually does. So, give him a lot of credit. I know when his number is called, he’ll be ready.”
But Fernández has rarely turned to Wolf, and on Thursday, he and fellow rookie Ben Saraf were sent back to Long Island. Egor Demin, the eighth pick, and Drake Powell, the 22nd, have both been given room to grow with the big club and play through their mistakes, and even Saraf opened the season as Brooklyn’s starting point guard for five games before falling out of the rotation. Without clearer insight into Wolf’s day-to-day practice habits, it’s hard to know what the former Michigan standout needs to show to earn a real chance.
When asked postgame why Wolf wasn’t given a longer look, Fernández said he simply isn’t there yet in his growth.
“Noah [Clowney] has the experience right now,” Fernández said. “The opportunities will come for everybody. It’s my decision. I just went with Noah because I’ve seen him multiple times. That’s pretty much it.
It’s hard to argue with that. Since breaking into the starting lineup on Nov. 3, Clowney has averaged 14.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and a steal, though he’s shooting just 38.9 percent from the field. He’s been impactful defensively, his spacing has helped open the floor and he’s beginning to deliver on the promise that made him the 21st pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
It leaves Wolf in a tricky spot. Fernández wants experience. Wolf needs minutes to get it. And until those two things align, he’s left to build his case behind the scenes. The Nets insist his path will come, but only when they feel he’s prepared for the responsibility that comes with it.
“It’s not just about one player; it’s about all the players,” Fernández said. “And if all the players accomplish what their plan is, we’re going to get a competitive team. Because at the end of the day it’s not about you, it’s about us. But I believe in the proper steps, and right now we have or we understand what wins are for us.”
