Nets’ preseason game vs. Israeli club has special meaning for Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf

For the Nets, Saturday’s game against Hapoel Jerusalem will be their preseason opener.

For Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf — both Israeli citizens — it will be so much more.

“It’s going to be really special for me,” Saraf said after Tuesday’s practice.

Saturday will mark the second time in three years that Brooklyn has hosted an Israeli team in the preseason, after beating Maccabi Ra’anana in 2023-24. But this time, the tilt will feature Jewish rookies Saraf and Wolf — and quite possibly protests outside Barclays Center as well.

The Nets took Saraf and Wolf with consecutive first-round picks in the June draft, making them just the second Jewish teammates in the league after Omri Casspi and Jordan Farmar.

Wolf is a naturalized Israeli who won silver with Israel at the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship and celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. For Saraf, the city is even closer to home, having grown up in Moshav Gan Yoshiya in the Emek Hefer Regional Council and played his first two years as a pro in his homeland as the Rising Star first in the second tier, then in the first.

For the 19-year-old guard, facing Hapoel Jerusalem will mean familiar faces.

“Of course,” Saraf said. “I know the guys, I know the coach, I got some friends over there playing on the team, so it’s going to be great. It’s going to be a great experience for all of us.”

It might be divisive for some.

The preseason opener is almost certain to draw protests over Israel’s war in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a defiant address to the U.N. last Friday after a walkout by dozens of nations, and met with President Donald Trump to agree on a plan to end the war in Gaza.

For his part, Saraf — who has a sister serving in the Israeli military — steered clear of any politics. But potential protestors may not, with the distinct possibility that there could be demonstrations outside of Barclays Center.

Still, expect Saturday’s preseason opener to carry extra meaning for Saraf and Wolf.

“I would assume so,” Brooklyn head coach Jordi Fernández said. “If we would play a Spanish team, it would mean something to me. That’s what I guess.

“But it’s pretty cool that we get to play not just outside the country — like when we’re going to China — but also against a foreign team here; in this case, a team from Jerusalem. So, you know, that tells you how global the NBA is, and how great of a job that the league does, but also the support that we receive from all over the world.”

After Saturday’s preseason opener, the Nets play two more games in Macao next week against the Suns, then close the four-game slate in Toronto.

Saraf has impressed his older teammates with poise beyond his years, and added seven or eight pounds to deal with the more physical NBA game. Now comes getting used to the faster pace, honing his shot selection, and improving his 3-point stroke after hitting just .290 percent last season at Ratiopharm Ulm.

“Just the pace of the game and what coaches want. It’s more 3-point shots or shots at the rim, free throws, less midrange. Those are things I used to like to do, but now I need to adjust,” Saraf said. “So, I’m working on my 3-point shot, my ability to get to the rim; those are the main differences for me.

“Of course it’s really important, especially with the way we want to play the game. Jordi wants to let it fly and we really want to get a lot of 3s, so for me it’s really important. I’m working really hard here with [Deividas Dulkys], the shooting coach. So, I’m feeling better with my 3-point shot. I still have a little work to do, but it’s getting way better.”