The most startling statistic for Brooklyn Nets last week in Sacramento may also be the most important going forward … not just for the 2026-27 season.
On Thursday, Brian Lewis encapsulated what others have also noticed:
After being just 1-for-4 from 2-point range in three summer league tilts last year, Dëmin’s auspicious 11-for-12 bodes well moving forward.
Demin, still only 20, has already made fools of those who said he couldn’t shoot by setting one rookie shooting record — 34 consecutive games with
a three — and hitting nearly 40% (38.5%) of his attempts and with volume. Eight times he hit five or more in a game with his top game seven vs. the Golden State Warriors back on December 29. Twenty times, he made three or more.
Now it looks like he may make fools of another set of critics from last season: those who said he would only be 3-point threat not a well-rounded offensive player.
“There was definitely one of the biggest points of emphasis,” Dëmin told The Post about his off-season. “The first time I met with the Nets last year in the predraft, I said I’m not going to sit here and tell you what I’m good at. I’m going to make sure you know that I’m aware of my weaknesses. So sometimes it’s a big advantage for the players to know what their weaknesses are over what is their strength.
“So, it’s been an advantage for me for the past summer and this summer as well, just knowing what to work on, what I really want to improve. … But obviously the goal is to get higher and higher on that, and master the game.”
It’s no surprise that the plantar fasciitis that caused him to miss a lot of development time last summer than 32 games in the season factored into what he could and couldn’t do, as did his physique. Now, he says he’s good having put on 13 to 15 pounds. It’s not just his fans who have noticed, even his rookie backcourt mate who watched from afar last season has seen the change.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Mikel Brown Jr. told The Post of Dëmin’s growth. “You see the growth from him being more aggressive, playing more physical. He got adapted to that style of the ball.
“The NBA is very physical; you’re playing against grown men. So you’ve got to be able to adapt. And you can see it. He’s way more physical. He’s more adamant about getting into his spots. No matter how tough and how physical the defender is, he’s going to get to his spots regardless. So you can see the growth from that.”
So, too, have his coaches.
“He’s done an outstanding job of putting weight on,” Nets summer league coach Dutch Gaitley told The Post. “But it’s easy to just show it off while you’re walking around the gym. The hard part is now can you have carryover?
“And Egor has been able to show his ability to get into the paint, hit midrange, get into the paint and make plays for other guys. That’s probably been his most [encouraging growth]. His comfort level with his strength is just going to open up so much of his game for himself or his teammates.”
Then there’s the shift in aura, crystalized by that windmill dunk vs. the Warriors at the close of the first half Monday. As C.J. Holmes of that Daily News writes, “The hair’s different. The fits are sharper. The frame looks stronger.”
Yes, as Lewis notes, it’s always somewhat of a fool’s errand to extrapolate Summer League performance into something sustainable. The annals of NBA Summer League is littered with MVPs who are no longer in the league or barely hanging on … and that includes Jalen Wilson and Cam Thomas.
But Demin is also someone with certain advantages. He was the tallest guard ever measured at the NBA Combine and has court vision as well as a shooting stroke and now has shown not just a skill but a willingness to drive the lane. The Nets took a lot of hits from pundits and draftniks after the Draft for taking him so high at No. 8 last uear. ESPN had him at No. 13 in their final mock, Bleacher Report at No. 19. Then again, there was griping about how he didn’t make either the first or second All-Rookie team which may or may not have been a function of him missing all those games.
But never mind all that. It’s a new season and Demin wants to re-invent his narrative once again. So far, so good.
- Egor Demin doing what he can to shore up his key Nets weakness — and it’s already showing ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
- Nets’ Egor Demin reveals body transformation that could foreshadow sophomore leap – Erik Slater – Clutch Points
- Egor Dëmin is acting different, and the Nets should be encouraged ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
- Nets’ Egor Demin showing improvement in second stint of summer league – Sharif Phillips Keaton – USA TODAY
