Grading Egor Demin's Rookie Season With The Brooklyn Nets

Every superhero origin has an unanticipated setback, and on Monday, the Brooklyn Nets revealed that rookie guard Egor Demin would miss the rest of the season due to plantar fasciitis. The news put a cap on his premier season after 52 games.

The Nets selected Demin with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the organization's highest draft pick since taking Derrick Favors with the third pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. He came into the league as a 19-year-old and only recently turned 20 years old.

Demin's season started slowly, but once he found his footing, he cemented himself as a top rookie in the NBA. The BYU product finished his first season averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game on 39.9% field goal shooting, 38.5% three-point shooting and 83.1% free-throw shooting.

To give Demin a fair grading, we have to factor in the expectations that were laid on him coming into his rookie season.

The situation of the franchise this season was one of the most advantageous locations to be in for a rookie. Even though Demin wasn't a starter immediately, it was presumed that he would be given plenty of opportunities –– he ended up starting the final 45 games of the season.

There wasn't much expected of him as a shooter after shooting 27.3% from deep in his lone college season, but he surprisingly became one of the best rookie shooters in the NBA. Demin attempted 6.2 threes per game and was efficient with his looks. He finished the season with 124 makes from beyond the arc and became the second fastest rookie to reach 100 made threes.

Demin did have his fair share of kryptonite as he was thrown into the fire of league play. Most of his shortcomings were rooted in his adjustment to the speed and physicality at this level. He boasts an impressive 6-foot-8, 200-pound frame, but often struggled to get into the paint, which limited him as a playmaker and made him reliant on the three-ball.

Even though he may not have a future as Brooklyn's lead guard, he doesn't need to play that role. Nolan Traoré looks primed to run the offense, while Demin has thrived in an off-ball role where he can get outside shots and still find his teammates.

Demin was also a complementary defender, something he improved upon throughout this season. He had the fourth-best defensive rating on the team among players who played at least 45 games to this point. Demin didn't possess the best lateral quickness, but he has a mind for the game that helps him meet opponents at their spots with his long frame.

Demin showed enough growth in year one. His shooting and feel for the game made his rookie season feel like the beginning of something rather than a missed opportunity because of the way it ended.

Demin's season grade: B-