Brooklyn’s backcourt picture is starting to take shape, and Egor Demin is already sounding sold on the idea of teaming up with Mikel Brown Jr.
With Summer League winding down and one game left on the Nets’ schedule, Brooklyn has gotten a clear look at a young group that could matter once the real season starts. Demin, the top first-round pick among the Nets’ five selections last draft, has been the standout. He’s averaged 21 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game, and he’s done it while carrying the offense as Brooklyn’s primary option.
That’s where Brown enters the picture. The No. 6 overall pick has started to settle in after missing the opening of the California Classic, and each game has brought a little more comfort and burst.
In his first appearance, a 100-79 win over the Golden State Warriors’ Blue squad, Brown flashed the kind of passing that jumps off the screen, threading multiple wraparound feeds to teammates on the wing. He also knocked down a corner 3-pointer for his first professional basket.
Demin, meanwhile, kept the scoring coming. He finished that game with a team-high 23 points, plus eight rebounds and five assists.
On Saturday, Demin addressed the social media nickname that’s already attached itself to the pair. "The Aura Bros?
I've seen that a little bit. He's been a really good friend of mine ever since he's here..."
Demin told ClutchPoints reporter Kris Pursiainen. "I think we have a really good opportunity to be around each other a little bit, get to know each other.
Get to feel what it is for the regular season, for the main team... I'm very happy with the idea of me and him being a duo, backcourt.
I'm very happy."
The fit makes sense on paper, too. Demin came into the league more known for passing, but Summer League has shown a real jump in his scoring.
Brown has looked increasingly dynamic as the games have gone on. Together, they give Brooklyn two tall guards who can handle, create and keep pressure on a defense.
Of course, the regular season will look different. With Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. on the wing, Demin and Brown will be secondary scoring options.
But that doesn’t make their role any smaller. Porter’s perimeter shooting should open space for both guards to attack and kick, while Randle’s downhill game and physical style should help absorb the heavier load and set a tone with his leadership and professionalism.
For Jordi Fernández, that mix of veterans and young talent gives the Nets real flexibility in how they build lineups. And after what Brooklyn has seen so far, the Demin-Brown pairing looks like a promising start.
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