With members of the Brooklyn Nets setting lofty expectations on this year's group, second-year G Egor Dëmin is at the forefront of this belief. If he can carry over his strides in the Summer League, Dëmin is in for a big year.
The Brooklyn Nets' backcourt duo of Egor Dёmin and Mikel Brown Jr. has members of the organization and fanbase excited for what the team will look like this upcoming season.
Both player are good playmakers, while providing increased spacing and shot creation from last season.
Dёmin, who the Nets took No. 8 overall out of BYU two drafts ago, looked like one of the most-improved players in the 2026 NBA Summer League, serving as Brooklyn's No. 1 option.
On Thursday, Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz tagged Dёmin as the Nets' breakout candidate heading into this season.
"At 6'8", Dëmin can essentially play either guard position. He made 40.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes," Swartz wrote."That was while playing with no true point guard and sharing the backcourt with a ball-dominant Cam Thomas. Now, with Brown and Julius Randle beside him, Dëmin should get more frequent and more open looks."
The addition of Brown and Julius Randle should allow Dёmin to play off the ball more-frequently, and display some of the offensive bag he showed off during the summer league.
In Las Vegas, Dёmin averaged 21.0 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals across three games, looking visibly stronger and more aggressive.
Dёmin scored from all three levels, while continuing to show growth as a perimeter jump shooter.
Coming out of college, 3-point shooting was one of the biggest concerns surrounding Dёmin, as he shot just 27.3% from deep in his lone year with BYU.
But, as his rookie season went on, Dёmin became one of the Nets' most-consistent long ball shooters, finishing with the highest 3-point field goal percentage by a qualified rookie in Nets history (38.5%).
His highest 3-point output came back in late December against the Golden State Warriors, exploding for seven makes from distance, a Nets rookie record.
One week later, Dëmin caught fire trailing against the Orlando Magic, making five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and overtime to lead a storming comeback.
With more playmaking help added to the roster, Dëmin will likely fill in at the shooting guard position, allowing Brown to handle most of the point guard duties as he gets more comfortable in the NBA.
In mid-July, Dëmin talked about his relationship with his newest teammate and a nickname for the duo circulating around social media.
"The Aura Bros? I've seen that a little bit. He's been a really good friend of mine ever since he's here..." Dëmin told ClutchPoints reporter Kris Pursiainen. "I think we have a really good opportunity to be around each other a little bit, get to know each other. Get to feel what it is for the regular season, for the main team... I'm very happy with the idea of me and him being a duo, backcourt. I'm very happy."
With Randle and Michael Porter Jr. setting lofty goals and expectations for the upcoming season, Dëmin's growth will play a big factor in the team's success.
