The Brooklyn Nets took down the Toronto Raptors 96-81 Sunday night, holding the Raptors to a season-low point total. It’s rare to get a double-digit win while scoring under 100 points, but the Nets were everywhere on the defensive end and had steady hands leading the way on offense.
Egor Demin starred in the game not because he set any career-highs, but because of how composed he played and affected the game beyond the box score.
The No. 8 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft tallied 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win. He shot 50% from the field and 60% from three-point range, with eight of his 10 shots coming from beyond the arc.
Over Demin’s last three games, he is averaging 15.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Despite being selected for his playmaking chops, Demin hasn’t been the assist machine that many thought he would be, but that hasn’t necessarily been a bad thing either.
Due to him being more of a scorer than anticipated coming into the season, he has had fewer passing opportunities and is more often looking for his own shots.
It was clear early on in his college days and into his rookie season that Demin was still growing into his large frame at guard. His handle isn’t as tight as most lead guards around the league, but he makes up for it by overpowering defenders and shooting over smaller contestors.
Brooklyn now sits at 8-19 and is five games back from a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. It’s in the franchise’s best interest to get back into position for a top-five pick in the next draft cycle, but the rebuild could be ahead of schedule nonetheless. Demin’s three-and-D archetype early on in his career has kept defenses honest and brought a new fold to the offense.
The 19-year-old’s biggest flaws coming into his rookie season were three-point shooting and on-ball defense. While Demin still tends to get beat off the dribble and blow defensive coverages, his stroke from outside is pure.
From a pure mechanics standpoint, he has a fluid shooting form and can knock down triples off the catch or off the dribble. Against the Raptors, Demin showed confidence by taking multiple three pointers many feet beyond the arc and drilling them.
His playmaking ability will be realized soon, but it’s almost a better sign that he is putting a major emphasis on his flaws instead of leaning on his strengths. Demin has the potential to be one of the most well-rounded guards in the league due to his work ethic and unique skill set.