After hitting the weight room to bolster his 6-foot-8 frame, Brooklyn’s lottery pick is punishing defenses inside, transforming from a perimeter specialist into a relentless multi-level threat.
Egor Dëmin struggled to score downhill in his rookie campaign for the Brooklyn Nets, and he's spent the offseason in the weight room adding muscle to handle increased physicality.
Dëmin's interior scoring lagged behind his perimeter shooting last season. He made 43.3% of his 2.4 two-point attempts compared to his elite 39.9% from three on 6.2 attempts.
Getting into the weight room was the first step for Dëmin to improve, and it started earlier than most. Brooklyn shut its eighth overall pick down for the remainder of the season in March due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
Dëmin used his early offseason to set everything in motion. He spent time lifting weights, prioritizing his nutrition and working on his game in the gym as much as possible.
The results have shown themselves at the California Classic Summer League. Brooklyn played its first game against the Sacramento Kings last Saturday, and Dëmin looked like the best player on the court.
He scored 23 points on 8-for-15 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds. Dëmin, known for his outside shooting, struggled to hit from beyond the arc (2-for-8), but his rim pressure prevented him from having a bad night.
The Nets' 2025 first-round pick replicated his success against the Golden State Warriors (Blue) to close out the California Classic. He scored 23 points on 7-for-12 shooting and struggled from three-point range once more (2-for-7).
“The biggest difference is his ability to get into the paint and into two-point range,” Nets Summer League coach Dutch Gaitley said. “We know he's a good shooter. He went 2-for-7 from three [on Monday]. I'm not very good at math, but that means he went 5-for-5 from two, and I'm pretty sure he was 4-for-4 from two in the first game."
Dëmin's improved downhill scoring has added another dynamic to his game, making him difficult to guard. A 6-foot-8 guard who can shoot and drive to the rim puts significant pressure on opposing defenses.
"Trying to drive to the rim as much as I can and more than I used to and embrace the physicality and my positional advantages, I would say right from a size standpoint," Dëmin told reporters after the Kings' loss.
His improvement signifies Brooklyn has nailed one of its five 2025 first-round picks. Dëmin was already a rotational player in his rookie campaign, but now, he can become a quality starter for an organization aiming to be competitive next season.
The Las Vegas Summer League starts on Friday, and the Nets will have a four-game slate against the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Kings and Houston Rockets. Dëmin and Mikel Brown Jr. will be the stars on the court for Brooklyn and have the opportunity to lead the team to its first Summer League championship.
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