Egor Demin Discusses Improved Driving Ability Following Nets Win Over 76ers

Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin has looked a lot more comfortable with the ball in his hands since Summer League.

Oct 8, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin (8) drives to the basket while defended by Philadelphia 76ers forward Dean Wade (45) during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin has looked a lot more comfortable with the ball in his hands since Summer League, especially as he makes his way downhill.

That was a big knock of his during his rookie season, though he was battling plantar fasciitis months before he made his NBA debut. Clearly, Demin has heard all of the naysayers.

"That's something that I've been working on for the entire summer and before that," Demin said. "And my mindset obviously been changing. So, now I'm really like looking for it. It's going to be easier for me once it slows down a little bit. And when I will see those driving lanes even better without being scared that somebody behind me blocking me or whatever, I can really slow down and make sure that I finish and not just throw it in the backboard like I did a couple of times today.

Demin had a nasty crossover on LeBron James and finished over Joel Embiid in the Nets' preseason win over the Philadelphia 76ers, an incredible sight for Nets fans to behold.

"He was comfortable getting into the paint, that's number one. You can see how confident he looks and it's through a summer of great work," Fernandez said. "He's aggressive. He tries to get there [in the paint]. Last year, it looked like [when] he touched the paint, he had no plan for it. He worked and he put his mind into it and also handling pressure. He's just like a new player and we believe that he could do all those things. There's no doubt that he can shoot the ball. He proved it last year, but also this summer he's been very aggressive also coming off the screen and that's what I want him to do because every time he shoots a three, I think it's going in."

Many of Demin's loudest critics compared him to Joe Harris last season when he was mostly relegated to shooting catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, which wasn't ideal to see from the No. 8 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft.

However, Demin has shown noticeable improvements in such a short time span with incredible self-awareness along the way, constantly identifying areas in which he can improve.

If Demin can continue to get to the rim at this rate and put pressure on the rim, he could be in for an incredible leap this season.