Just a few weeks ago, the Brooklyn Nets were the talk of NBA Draft night.
Five first-round picks. Five swings at the future. And right at the center of it all was former BYU star Egor Demin.
The Nets surprised many when they took Demin with the No. 8 overall pick, betting on his size and long-term upside at the point guard position.
On Thursday night in Las Vegas, fans finally got their first look at the 6-foot-9 Russian guard as he suited up for his Summer League debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The stat line didn’t offer much to get excited about as Demin finished with eight points and four rebounds on 2-of-5 shooting from the field, with all five shots coming from beyond the arc, as the Nets lost 90-81.
catch, shoot, cash out!
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) July 10, 2025
🎯 @whoisegor3 pic.twitter.com/WTmtTaQfQS
Demin ultimately struggled to generate anything off the dribble and at times looked more like a spectator than an active participant.
But let’s pump the brakes — contrary to what NBA Twitter might be telling you, this is hardly the time to be writing Demin’s NBA eulogy.
Anyone familiar with Demin’s game at BYU knew this would be a process. In his lone season in Provo, Demin shot just 23.9% on threes off the dribble and 27.3% on catch-and-shoot attempts. The struggles weren’t limited to the perimeter either—he also shot 27.3% on off-the-dribble 2s.
It’s clear that his offensive development is still a work in progress.
Right now, Demin isn’t a self-creator. He needs a screen to get downhill and relies on his size and passing ability to impact the game.
Brooklyn clearly views him as a long-term project—someone who can organize the offense, take care of the ball, and hopefully distribute to scorers like Cam Thomas and Michael Porter Jr.
But this is what development looks like. The Nets drafted Demin knowing he’d need time.
His first Summer League game didn’t change that.