Russian Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin played his best game in the NBA, managing to score 16 points in a home game with the Toronto Raptors (109:119). He also had five assists and four rebounds. The team coach trusts the young player more and more, and fans note the newcomer’s rapid progress.

Starting five at 19 years old!

The match against Toronto was Demin’s third in a row in Brooklyn’s starting five. For a 19-year-old player who moved to the United States just a year ago, this should be considered a monumental success. Selected eighth overall in the 2025 draft (a record for Russians in the NBA), the defender began the season as a reserve, but after the injury of team leader Cam Thomas, he began to receive much more playing time. The last game turned out to be a record for Yegor not only in terms of performance, but also in minutes spent on the floor (27:31).

In the first attack, he made a three-pointer into the opponent’s basket, and in total he made four long-range attempts during the game. So far, this is his main weapon in the NBA – he mainly prefers to attack from behind the arc. In addition, he scored two free throws and one successful pass under the hoop. In terms of playing the ball, he also showed his best side, providing five assists. There could have been more successful passes, but after Demin’s smart decisions, his partners often missed from ideal positions. Egor’s actions were praised by the team’s head coach, Jordi Fernandez.

– He did well. Handles the ball confidently and confidently enters the paint. I know some people here asked me about two-pointers, and now you’ve seen it all for yourself – he can pass, he shoots three-pointers. We want to see it all, and there is no better way to achieve this than to have more playing time,” the New York Post quotes Fernandez.

Egor Demin / Photo: © Dustin Satloff / Contributor / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

For Brooklyn, the current season has no significance in terms of the tournament. The team objectively has one of the weakest squads in the league, which is not capable of qualifying for the playoffs. After 11 matches of the regular season, she has only one victory to her name. For Demin, this situation is even to his advantage: less responsibility, more opportunities to prove himself.

His statistical line after ten matches looks quite decent for a 19-year-old player: 7.1 points per game, 3.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 0.9 steals. Egor prefers to avoid unnecessary risks, often has the ball, and rarely loses it (1.6). What the Russian definitely needs to improve on is increasing the number of attempts to pass under the hoop and in defensive actions. So far, he often loses position and allows himself to be pushed, but there are undoubtedly more positives in his play at the start of the season than negatives.

Fans praise Yegor

Brooklyn fans / Photo: © Luke Hales / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

Brooklyn fans will have few reasons to rejoice this season, but they are absolutely delighted with Demin’s play. Fans note the progress in the Russian’s game and urge the coaching staff to trust him even more.

– Obviously a guy with great talent. I don’t understand why the coaching staff doesn’t let him take more shots per game. If others miss, let him try more.

“He spent a lot of time perfecting his jumps when throwing. This Russian guy’s three-pointers look very clean, you could say it’s a textbook perfect shot.

– Excellent shot execution: fast, balanced, with a high release point, which makes it inaccessible to defensive players. If earlier I considered him just a promising player, then after such a game you can see a future star in him.

– You shouldn’t idealize him. Errors in defense are visible, but it is clear that Demin is progressing very quickly. I think that soon we will see 20 points per game from him.

— I sympathize with Demin. He needs an experienced veteran next to him, and not the lineup that he has now. It is clear that he is a smart basketball player, but there are no players on the court who would use his intelligence.

“With every match he looks more and more confident. He reads the game perfectly and attacks at the right moment. He should be more courageous and go under the ring more often.

Demin’s performance at the start of his NBA career cannot but be encouraging. Russians have not been seen in the strongest league in the world for many years. Egor is not just on the team, but has a serious influence on its play. At this rate, he has every chance to grow, if not into a star, then into a player of a very good level.