Brooklyn’s front office sounds encouraged by what it has seen from Egor Demin, and the message is clear: the rookie’s game is getting bigger, not just better from deep.
A Nets front-office executive told Keith Smith of Spotrac that Demin enters Year 2 looking much more settled than he did when he first arrived.
"He’s a lot more comfortable going into Year 2. I think from the pre-draft process, all the way through his rookie year, we probably over-indexed on his three-point shot too much," a Nets front-office executive said of Demin, per Keith Smith of Spotrac.
That’s a notable shift in how Brooklyn is framing his development. Demin’s shooting was the obvious talking point after his one-and-done season at BYU, but the Nets are now emphasizing the broader package. The focus this offseason has been on helping him attack the rim more often and putting him in better positions to use his size and skill set.
"I mean Egor, his trainers, our front office, our coaches, everyone. You saw out here (at Summer League), that he was getting downhill more. This year is about putting him in even better spots to shine as an all-around player," the Nets front-office executive continued on Demin, per Smith.
Demin’s summer showed that shift in action. With added bulk, he spent much of Brooklyn’s summer run trying to get downhill and pressure the paint. He also carried a bigger load during the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League, where his production jumped.
The 20-year-old finished his rookie campaign with 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 39.9% from the field and taking just 1.3 free-throws per game. In the summer circuit, he averaged 21.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game, while shooting 47.3% from the floor and 28.9% from three-point range.
That development matters for a Nets offense that will be built around forwards Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle next season. Brooklyn will need more than just shooting around that pair; it needs players who can stretch the floor and create rim pressure. If Demin’s offseason work carries over, he could end up being a key part of making that offense run more smoothly.
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