Egor Dëmin’s return gave the Brooklyn Nets exactly the kind of lift they were hoping for on Thursday night.
Back in the starting lineup after missing six games with a bone bruise, the second-year guard scored 22 points and helped Brooklyn cruise past the New Orleans Pelicans by 34 points in what was easily the team’s best win of the season. With Mikel Brown Jr. sidelined because of illness, Dëmin stepped right into a featured role and matched Michael Porter Jr. for the team lead in scoring.
Brooklyn stumbled out of the gate, falling behind 4-0, but Dëmin quickly settled things down. He got the Nets on the board with a 3-pointer from the right wing that took a kind bounce and opened the night for Brooklyn.
The shooting line told the story. Dëmin finished 5-for-8 from the field, hit four shots from beyond the arc and went to the line for eight free throws, turning in the kind of efficient performance the Nets had been waiting to see from their top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
That kind of night was a welcome change from what came before the injury. Dëmin entered the game averaging 7.8 points per contest on 31% shooting across his first four appearances.
In three of those four games, he finished with fewer than five points, with his only exception coming in a four-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had also gone just 6-for-21 from 3-point range before finding his rhythm against New Orleans.
This time, the perimeter shot was there. Brooklyn repeatedly created looks for him, and Dëmin rewarded those sets by stepping into open 3s and punishing the Pelicans when their rotations were slow. It was the kind of comfort from deep that stood out, especially after a rocky start to his season.
That touch from long range was one of the biggest reasons Dëmin entered the year with real buzz. In college at BYU, he shot 27.3% from 3-point range, then raised that to a Nets-rookie record 38.5% during his first season.
His biggest outburst came late in December against the Golden State Warriors, when he drilled seven 3-pointers to set another Nets rookie record. A week later, he caught fire again against the Orlando Magic, burying five threes in the fourth quarter and overtime to spark a comeback.
As the season moves on, head coach Jordi Fernández will need Dëmin to keep playing a major role in the Brooklyn backcourt, especially as Brown gets healthier and moves closer to joining the starting lineup. For one night, though, the Nets got the version of Dëmin they’ve been waiting for.
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Nets Backcourt Plan Hits Another Snag At The Worst Time
The Nets backcourt shuffle is getting harder to manage at a time when they can least afford it. Mikel Brown Jr. will miss the upcoming game against the New Orleans Pelicans because of illness, adding another obstacle for a team already trying to steady itself through a rough 2-8 start. Brown has been under a minutes restriction and has yet to start a game this season, so Brooklyn has been navigating his availability carefully while trying to keep some continuity in place.
Egor Demin is expected to give the group a boost by returning after a six-game absence, which at least gives the Nets another option as they try to find some rhythm. The timing matters against a Pelicans team that has dropped three straight, but Brooklyn still has to sort out how much it can lean on its guards and how quickly the rotation can settle. For a team searching for traction, every absence changes the equation a little more. [Read more 🡒]
Nets May Have A Frontcourt Option Worth Watching Closely
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The defensive side may be what gives him the most traction with the Nets. Nelson added two blocks and looked comfortable protecting the paint, which only adds to the momentum he has built with a strong preseason showing. For a Brooklyn team always monitoring its next internal option, he is starting to look like more than just a name in the system. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Suddenly Have An Early Minutes Puzzle Fans Should Watch
Egor Demins return gave Brooklyn a timely lift after a stretch of injury absences left the backcourt and wing rotation thinner than usual. The Nets had been without Nolan Traore and Mikel Brown Jr., and Demins presence helped steady things in a recent win while the team continued sorting through how to cover minutes with bodies coming and going.
The bigger question now is how Brooklyn handles the next wave of availability, especially with the roster still being managed carefully on the fly. Jordi Fernandez had to navigate the late news on Traore, and the way the Nets balance those unexpected absences against Demins re-entry into the mix could shape the early rotation picture in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]