Egor Demin believes the work he put in following summer league has prepared him to take another step with the Brooklyn Nets.
The player started at point guard in Brooklyn’s 124-90 preseason victory over the Charlotte Hornets, recording six points and five assists in just over 18 minutes.
He also made two of his three attempts from beyond the arc.
“Yeah, my goal is to translate not just a part of what I did in summer league, but even more, right?” said Demin, who has worked to improve his driving and shore up his Achilles’ heel. “Obviously I had some more time after summer league, and I kept working on that stuff. And I think I’m even better right now than I was in summer league.”
His ability to get into the paint was one of the encouraging signs against Charlotte.
Increased strength has helped Demin handle contact and create opportunities for teammates.
Coach Jordi Fernandez wants the young guard to remain aggressive both as a scorer and playmaker.
“Yeah, you see him with five assists in the first group; so he leads that group in assists, which is great,” said Fernandez. “Egor was good. I want him aggressive to shoot or to touch the paint, and he’s done it the whole summer. He’s worked at it, he’s stronger, and now he’s very comfortable getting there. So, it’s great. He’s got to keep doing it, got to keep finding his teammates or getting good shots.”
For Demin, the objective goes beyond his individual development as Brooklyn looks to improve as a team.
“To win as many games as possible,” he said. “Our process is oriented now on getting there each day, at least a little bit, but getting there, no matter whether it’s a game day, practice day, or an update.”
