Egor Dëmin will be out for at least a week due to a bone bruise in his right leg, as announced by the Nets on Thursday.
He’ll be reassessed next week after sustaining the injury during Tuesday’s overtime game against the Celtics.
Following practice on Thursday, Jordi Fernández stated that Dëmin’s injury is not expected to be long-term.
In Dëmin’s absence, another rookie, Nolan Traore—who was also a 2025 first-round pick—will presumably take on a larger role.
Traore had a strong performance in his season debut against the Celtics but had to leave the game because of cramps. Still, he has shown promise when on the court.
His speed, which Day’Ron Sharpe describes as his “biggest threat,” has been particularly noteworthy.
Both Dëmin and Traore were the highest selections for the Nets last year, among a total of five picks.
On the same day, the team confirmed it would be exercising the third-year options for all five, including Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf.
Fernández mentioned, “We brought them in for a reason. We believe each one of them has a future in this league. Their paths may be different, and that’s fine. It shows we trust the process.”
Powell, who is currently assigned to the G-League, is listed as questionable for Friday’s game, while Saraf is out with a similar assignment.
Mikel Brown Jr. took responsibility on Tuesday for a couple of late-game errors that contributed to the loss against the Celtics. His coach and teammates quickly defended him, praising his accountability.
“Honestly, we’re not in that situation without Mikel hitting a couple of big shots down the stretch,” noted Michael Porter Jr. “People can focus on the mistakes, but we wouldn’t have reached that point without what he did.”
Fernández commented on Brown’s character, saying, “He’s tough. He holds himself accountable. Others may make excuses, but that’s not who he is. … He thrives in big moments, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of that.”
Through the first four games, Sharpe is averaging a career-high 21.5 minutes of play.
That’s the silver lining.
The downside, however, is that he’s also accumulating an average of 3.8 fouls per game, which is significantly up from the 2.4 he averaged last season.
“I think I just need to avoid being overly aggressive,” Sharpe admitted. “I don’t mean to foul; I’m just trying to make an impact. I need to focus on playing harder, with intention, and managing my physicality.”
