Egor Dëmin left Tuesday’s overtime loss to the Boston Celtics with everyone in Brooklyn holding their breath. The Nets’ second-year guard grabbed his right leg after a non-contact play, then hobbled to the locker room, the kind of scene that immediately sets off alarms.
But Dëmin offered a more encouraging message afterward. In his postgame interview, he shared a positive update, easing the concern after what looked like a scary exit.
Before leaving, Dëmin had logged 10 minutes and finished with two points on 1-for-3 shooting, along with one rebound, two assists and one steal.
The injury scare came during a season that has started unevenly for the 20-year-old. Through four games, he is averaging 7.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists. His best showing so far came last Saturday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, when he bounced back with 22 points.
Even with that bright spot, Dëmin has drifted back toward the perimeter-heavy approach he leaned on as a rookie. More than 70% of his 7.3 shot attempts per game have come from beyond the arc, with less emphasis on getting downhill and attacking the rim.
That has stood in contrast to the offseason buzz around his growth as a slasher. Teammates and the media have pointed to his work in the weight room, where he added muscle to his 6-foot-8 frame.
His summer league play backed that up in a big way. Dëmin made the All-Summer League Second Team after averaging 21 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists over three games in Las Vegas. He was especially effective inside the arc, shooting 92% on six attempts, a sharp jump from the 25% he posted on 1.3 attempts in his rookie summer.
That summer run carried into the preseason in a quieter way. He averaged 10 points over four games, but his passing was the real calling card, with four assists per game as he repeatedly broke down defenses and forced rotations.
For a winless Nets team, the update matters. Dëmin sits at the center of Brooklyn’s young core and is arguably the best player in the Flatbush Five group, so the fact that his right leg felt better after rest offers some relief.
In Other News...
Nets Young Core Ran Into The Same Frustrating Problem Again
Chaney Johnson got the start in place of Egor Dmin on Friday night, a change forced by the bone bruise that has sidelined Dmin and left Brooklyn shuffling its young lineup again. The Nets actually grabbed an early lead against Detroit, but the familiar issues followed soon after, with the offense bogging down and the shots not falling as the game wore on.
Brooklyns problems only deepened in the third quarter, when the Pistons started to separate and the Nets found themselves chasing a game that had gotten away from them. By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the bench group was getting extended run for Mikel Brown Jr., Danny Wolf and Drake Powell, another reminder that this still-developing roster is trying to find answers while searching for its first win of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Backcourt Shakeup Just Put One Rotation Battle In Focus
Jordi Fernandez is already reshuffling the Brooklyn backcourt three games into the season, and the move has quickly turned one of the rosters early questions into a live rotation battle. Nolan Traore got the nod in place of Keon Ellis and responded with a promising first start, finishing with 15 points and three assists before cramps forced him out of the game.
The bigger wrinkle is the health of Egor Demin, who had handled the point guard spot through the first three games before being sidelined. Chaney Johnson is set to start against the Detroit Pistons in his place, leaving Brooklyn to sort out both the short-term lineup and the longer-term fit in a backcourt that already looks unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Rotation Problem Is Putting Moritz Wagner Under Real Pressure
Moritz Wagner has given the Nets some useful scoring pop off the bench, averaging 10.3 points per game, but the fit has been far less tidy on the other end. Brooklyns defensive numbers have taken a hit with him on the floor, and the issue goes beyond one rough stretch. Wagner is more comfortable stepping out to defend the perimeter than anchoring the paint, which leaves coach Jordi Fernndez trying to balance a skill set the team can use against the interior resistance it still needs.
The problem is made trickier by the roster around him. Brooklyn does not have a deep pool of backup center answers, and the sample size is still small enough that the staff has to decide how much weight to put on early returns. Fernndez also has to factor in Wagners contract, which makes any rotation adjustment more than a simple short-term tweak, and the next stretch could say a lot about how long the Nets keep leaning on him in that role. [Read more 🡒]