Brooklyn Nets guards Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. are in the midst of an important summer as both players will have to work on their flaws in their game. Brooklyn saw Demin and Brown share the floor together over the course of the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League, but there are those around the NBA wondering how effective the duo can be next season.
"But how good the Nets are in 2026-27 is not as important as how good they can be a few seasons from now, so it’s important that they hit on their Lottery picks from the last two drafts," John Schuhmann wrote for NBA.com when discussing the Nets and where they rank in the Eastern Conference at the moment. NBA.com ranks Brooklyn as the 14th-best team in the East, but that number could
shift depending on how Demin and Brown play next year.
"Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. combined to take 51 (60%) of their 85 Summer League shots from 3-point range, probably too high a rate given the former’s size and the latter’s explosiveness," Schuhmann continued. "Brown will need some time to find his way, but the time is now for Demin to take a big step forward and show that there’s a brighter future for this franchise."
Heading into next season, Demin and Brown are likely to be the starting backcourt for the Nets with the rest of the lineup being filled by forward Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle along with center Day'Ron Sharpe. Demin entrenched himself as a starter last season for Fernandez, but Brown still has to compete with Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf in training camp for the starting point guard spot.
As Schuhmann alluded to, the Nets know what they will be getting from Porter, Randle, and Sharpe so it will be on Demin and Brown to step up if Brooklyn is going surpass expectations. The Nets are already projected to be one of the worst teams in the league next season, but if Demin and Brown are better than expected, Brooklyn could surprise some people around the NBA.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Egor Demin, Mikel Brown Jr. will be key pieces next season
