The sharpshooter and first round selection Demin isn't the only impactful rookie for Brooklyn.
Egor Demin is realizing how much faster the Brooklyn Nets play.
It has little to do with the rookie sharpshooter. Rather the fast tempo has more to do with a fellow emerging breakout first-year performer.
The No. 8 overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft has watched Nolan Traore ascend on the floor. The 19th pick Traore created his first double-double against the Chicago Bulls, then later watched a 20-point output despite the loss to the Indiana Pacers.
"It's been really cool using Nolan's strength as of speed," Demin said after the 115-110 Pacers loss via the YES Network.
Traore turns up the acceleration when given the ball. Plus earns the freedom to call the sets through his head coach Jordi Fernandez. But the speed the French talent possesses has benefitted Demin and the Nets on the floor.
"It opens up everything for everybody else, tremendously, and not just me, but everybody else, as I said, just our bigs," Demin said.
The Russian native Demin then dropped this scouting report on his fellow first-year teammate.
"His ability to spray the ball out of the paint and get into the paint before he even passes to anybody or finish, I think it's amazing, and it helps us a lot," Demin added.
He concluded with: "I think we play faster. I think that that's going to be big."
Demin is one raving about the stellar play of Traore as of late. Fernandez is another taking a liking to what he's seen lately -- sharing this sentiment on Monday after knocking off the Bulls.
"It's speed and paint touches. That’s what he creates for us, whether it’s getting to the rim or touching the paint and spraying the ball to teammates. I think he does an unbelievable job," Fernandez said via Erik Slater of ClutchPoints. "He’s done a good job finishing... Now the next step is growing his voice, deciding when he’s going to call something early or late in the clock and organizing his teammates. That’s very important."
But even opponents are taking notice of the Nets talent.
Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle coached strong guard play throughout his illustrious coaching career. The past NBA Finals winner couldn't help but marvel at Traore's game before the Wednesday evening victory inside Barclays Center.
"He’s crafty, he drives it, he shoots it from all four levels," Carlisle said to reporters. "He just creates a lot of issues for a defense.”
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