NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin has the opportunity to break out in his second season in the NBA, especially with the Nets adding more veteran talent to the roster. Brooklyn believed in Demin's potential when it selected him with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and he explained how he is gaining confidence in a specific part of his game.
"I think definitely all of it. I think that's all going into the same jar for me to be able to get to the paint as much as I can," Demin said during his Media Day interview on Monday. Demin has already shown his ability to shoot the three-pointer at a high level, but this offseason has been Demin displaying his improvement in getting into the paint and finishing at the basket.
"From a standpoint
of, obviously, I've been working on certain things in the summer. Seeing the progress in these things helps a lot with the mental part," Demin continued. "The mental strength, once I get stronger, it's going to be different for me. It might sound as an excuse, but I truly believe that the stronger I'm going to get, the better player I'm gonna be."
Demin, 20, is coming off a 2025-26 NBA season in which he averaged 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 39.9% from the field and 38.5% from behind the three-point line. After putting on 12 pounds, Demin went on to average 21.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest while shooting 47.3% from the floor and 28.9% from deep in five games across the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League.
With forwards Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle leading the way for Brooklyn's offense, Demin should have plenty of reps practicing his spot-up shooting and cutting. However, if Demin is going to break out by taking advantage of the other aspects of his game aside from his shooting, he will have to implement the work that he has been putting in this summer into his game, similar to what he was doing this offseason in various pick-up games and summer league play.
This could be a big season for Nets G Egor Demin. He's stronger and he appears more willing to attack the basket. If Demin can put it altogether, it could be a second-year breakout. https://t.co/R9Vhc6cFtl
— Sharif Phillips-Keaton (@SharifKeaton) October 3, 2026
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Egor Demin discusses growing confidence in driving to the rim
