Egor Dëmin’s summer has started to look a lot different from his rookie season.
Brooklyn’s lottery pick spent the offseason getting stronger, and that work is showing up in the California Classic Summer League. The 6-foot-8 guard, who had more trouble finishing inside than knocking down shots from deep as a rookie, has turned himself into a tougher downhill scorer in a hurry.
Last season, Dëmin’s two-point production lagged behind his perimeter game. He connected on 43.3% of his 2.4 two-point attempts, while shooting 39.9% from three on 6.2 attempts. That imbalance is exactly what Brooklyn wanted to address after shutting him down in March because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
The early offseason became a reset. Dëmin hit the weight room, focused on nutrition and spent as much time as possible working on his game in the gym. The goal was simple: add muscle, handle contact better and make defenses pay when he gets into the lane.
So far, that plan is working.
In Brooklyn’s first California Classic game against the Sacramento Kings last Saturday, Dëmin looked like the best player on the floor. He finished with 23 points on 8-for-15 shooting and added seven rebounds. His outside shot wasn’t falling - he went 2-for-8 from three - but his ability to attack the rim kept the night from slipping away.
He followed that up against the Golden State Warriors (Blue), again posting 23 points, this time on 7-for-12 shooting. Once more, the three-ball was off line at 2-for-7, but the damage he did inside stood out.
“The biggest difference is his ability to get into the paint and into two-point range,” Nets Summer League coach Dutch Gaitley said. “We know he's a good shooter.
He went 2-for-7 from three [on Monday]. I'm not very good at math, but that means he went 5-for-5 from two, and I'm pretty sure he was 4-for-4 from two in the first game."
Dëmin said after the loss to the Kings that he’s trying to keep leaning into that part of his game.
"Trying to drive to the rim as much as I can and more than I used to and embrace the physicality and my positional advantages, I would say right from a size standpoint," Dëmin told reporters after the Kings' loss.
For Brooklyn, the signs are encouraging. Dëmin was already a rotation piece in his rookie year, and if this summer version holds, he could be on track to become a quality starter for a team trying to take a step forward next season.
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