Demin’s Surge Amidst Team Struggles
Egor Demin, often seen as a potential weak link before the last NBA Draft, is now making a name for himself with the Nets.
That fact became particularly clear on Thursday night when the rookie scored a personal best of 26 points, hitting 6-of-10 shots from beyond the arc in a tough 118-98 defeat against the Magic.
After a disappointing season at BYU, where he recorded one of the lowest 3-point shooting percentages in 2024-25 at 27.3% on 4.7 attempts per game, many analysts speculated about his future without a solid shooting game. But as the No. 8 overall pick, he seems to have taken their concerns to heart, now averaging a more promising 40.2% on 6.4 attempts this season.
In the aftermath of Thursday’s game, Demin credited his personal coach, Zach Gonzalez, for his improvement. He remarked, “I dedicated a lot of time to working on my shot in L.A. pre-draft, and even during preseason here.” He continued, “He’s been instrumental in my progress. For me, it’s all about practice—lots of practice at game speed helps develop that habit.”
Despite the Nets’ struggles, having lost 10 of their last 11 games, Demin’s performance has shown a notable upward trend, shooting 41.4% over his last 10 games. There’s been steady improvement; his shooting percentage peaked at 47.2% in January after starting at just 32.9% in November.
This season, he has made a total of 14 three-pointers, with his highest production coming during a game against the Warriors, where he hit 7 of 14 attempts.
Demin expressed gratitude towards his teammates for their support, saying, “I think it was mostly about catching and shooting. My goal is to create areas where my teammates can find me easily. Their willingness to share the ball means a lot to me.”
Head coach Jordi Fernandes noted that Demin could’ve scored even more. “He’s a real threat from the three-point range. Every time he shoots, I expect it to go in,” he commented. “He didn’t miss much. But we need to develop our collective rhythm. I believe it will come.”
Demin’s career-high scoring night was also significant for team history; along with Traore’s matching 21 points, it marked the first time since 1982 that two Nets rookies each scored over 20 in a game.
In a further milestone, all five rookies played together for the first time, winning their segment 19-13 in six minutes during the fourth quarter. “Every minute counts, and I’m proud of the effort they put in,” said Fernandes. “That’s the expectation every time they step on the court.”
As the Nets focus on rebuilding, nurturing the development of their rookies, particularly Demin, will be crucial before they consider adding a college star to the roster.
