Brooklyn’s late push in Saturday’s 125-121 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers gave fans a small but intriguing look at something the Nets may want to explore more: Egor Demin alongside rookie guard Mikel Brown Jr.
It was the first time this season the two shared the floor, and it came during a fourth-quarter stretch when Brooklyn was fighting back from a 22-point deficit. From 8:18 remaining to 4:42 left, when Brown checked out, the Nets outscored Cleveland 11-5. Demin accounted for nine of Brooklyn’s 11 points in that span.
Afterward, head coach Jordi Fernandez made it clear that he’s balancing development with the need to win as many games as possible in his third season leading the team from the bench. Brooklyn’s offseason trade for former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle signaled a push to win more now, but Fernandez still has to manage two of the team’s younger pieces.
"It's good. We have to grow together, keep Mikel healthy, and just get into those groups. It's not always going to be the same and perfect, but that's part of the game," Fernandez said to the media after Saturday's 125-121 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
When asked directly about the idea of pairing Demin and Brown, Fernandez took a practical view.
"The way I would explain this is when you're coaching a game, if you're coaching thinking you want to play certain guys together, it's usually you're doing it for the wrong reasons," Fernandez said when asked how he thinks about the prospect of Demin and Brown playing together. "Would I like to play them together?
Yes. But, if I'm just thinking about playing them together, I may not do what's best for the group at the moment."
The two have now shared the court for four minutes through Brooklyn’s first two games, and every one of those minutes has come in the fourth quarter while the Nets were dealing with foul trouble. It’s not much of a sample, but it did offer a brief glimpse of a potential combination Fernandez will keep evaluating as he searches for the best lineups in the moment.
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The Nets had a hard time keeping pace with Cleveland for much of the night, but they found something to hang onto in the fourth quarter. Brooklyns shooting and defense were uneven throughout the game, yet the teams effort on the glass and general fight back into the contest gave the building a different feel as the comeback started to take shape. Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. helped keep the offense afloat, and the Nets looked far more connected when the game started slipping away from them.
Egor Dmin was at the center of that push, giving Brooklyn a burst of energy late as the Cavaliers were forced to sweat out the finish. Even in defeat, the Nets showed a level of resilience that has been missing too often, and that matters for a team still trying to establish a baseline for how it wants to compete. The loss stings, but the way Brooklyn closed is the kind of stretch fans will remember the next time this group needs a little more edge. [Read more 🡒]
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Demins play in particular offered a reminder that the Nets may have found a young piece worth watching closely, while Brown has been easing in after his preseason ankle injury. In a league where so much attention gets paid to the established stars and the headlines around them, Brooklyns early days have at least produced a couple of bright spots the organization can keep developing. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Suddenly Need Answers In The Middle At The Worst Time
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The team later said Zubac had a left ankle sprain and would not return, which only sharpens the concern around what comes next. For Brooklyn, the matchup itself may fade quickly, but the bigger question is how the Clippers manage the frontcourt if Zubac is forced to miss time during an already crowded stretch. [Read more 🡒]