NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets rookie guard Egor Demin had a rough start to the 2025-26 NBA season as he was learning the NBA game on the fly as a starting point guard. Brooklyn initially brought Demin off the bench partially due to a plantar fascia injury in the offseason, but as of late, it seems like the former BYU Cougar has found his footing in the league.
“Being able to really find that assertiveness and being decisive. I need to focus on what I can control, or what we can control as a group,” Demin said after Friday’s 115-103 NBA Cup loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Demin scored a career-high 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field and 5-of-14 shooting from deep, but all of his points came in a second half that was encouraging to see from the 19-year-old.
“Keep really following our staples and really trying to reach the goals we put [in] pregame on our game plan, and being able to get stops and run the floor,” Demin continued. “I think that’s [having freedom within the offense] great because obviously Jordi wants us to shoot a lot but, it’s not just getting any shots. I wish I didn’t take some of the shots I took and tried to find something better for myself or my teammates.”
Demin, 19, is now averaging 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 37.1% from the field and 34.6% from three-point land following Friday’s 23-point explosion. November has been an interesting month for Demin as while he has put up bigger stats, he has also seen a drop in his efficiency across the board, especially with most of his shots coming from behind the three-point line.
However, Demin has also done a better job of taking care of the basketball and he is playing better defense that is allowing him to commit less fouls during his time on the floor. In a game where the Nets did not forward Michael Porter Jr. or guard Cam Thomas on the floor for the first time this season, Demin stepped up when his team needed him the most, but he understands that he still has to get better at the same time.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets’ Egor Demin reacts to 23-point NBA Cup performance against 76ers
