When Egor Dëmin stepped away from his one-and-done career at BYU, expectations were high — and for good reason.
Selected 8th overall by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2025 NBA Draft, Dënim has entered the league with the promise of what all professional basketball clubs seem to be searching for these days: extremely young talent with a combination of size, shooting, and playmaking ability.
His freshman campaign at BYU showcased these unique abilities, averaging 10.6 points, 5.5 assists (the most of any freshman in BYU history), and 3.9 rebounds. Yet, it also showed a player still raw but with tantalizing upside.
Eleven games (Dëmin’s played ten and started three) into the NBA season, it’s time to assess: how has he done? What’s working for him? And what’s next for his game?
The Brooklyn Nets’ season thus far has been nothing short of disappointing, even with their low preseason expectations. Sharing a lowly 1-10 record at the bottom of the league with the Pacers and Wizards, their sole victory coming from a battle with the Pacers.
Even when reflecting on their losses it proves hard to remain optimistic, as their average point differential in those games is a whopping 15.8 points per game, highlighted by a 36-point loss to the Knicks in their opening match of the NBA Cup.
Despite these troubling signs from a team desperately in rebuild-mode, many fans can look to Egor as one of the few shining lights in Brooklyn.
First and foremost, his season averages are modest. Playing 21 minutes a game, Dëmin has 7.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 39% field goal shooting, to go with 0.9 steals while committing only 1.6 turnovers.
While it can be easy to pass judgement on just the season numbers, the sample size is undoubtedly small, and it may not be fair to fully assess a player so young and so early into their career. However, many Nets fans should argue that Egor’s play so far shows much more positive signs than negative.
For example, one of the glaring concerns about Egor’s game that was constantly raised while at BYU was his three point shooting percentages (27.3%). He first dispelled some doubters in the combine, where he was one of the most efficient volume three-point shooters at the entire event (56% in drills). Now in the league, he’s shooting 37.5% on 4.8 attempts a game, very healthy numbers for any rookie.
Most promising, however, are his recent performances. Ever since Cam Thomas has left the starting lineup due to injury, Egor has stepped up and taken his place in stride.
In his last three games as a starter, Dëmin is averaging 11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 48% field goal shooting and 47% from three-point range, all in 25 minutes a game.
His most recent game against Atlantic Division foe Toronto was probably his best yet: a career-high 16 points with 4 assists, and even going 4-8 from three.
Naturally, as Egor gets more reps, the sooner and better he will become. Cam Thomas is not expected to return to play until early December, so now is Demin’s golden opportunity to both prove and improve himself for all who watch and critique his game.
Egor Dëmin and the Nets' next outing will be in Orlando when they face the Magic on Friday.