The Brooklyn Nets are set for their season opener, and their point guard could soon steal the spotlight.
Over the offseason, much was made of the moves made by the Nets to help get the team ready to compete again this season. With three lottery-bound seasons now behind them, the Nets are hoping that Julius Randle, Mikel Brown Jr. and others will be able to make an instant impact in Brooklyn and help the team make it back to the postseason.
While those moves should certainly be helpful, the Nets will also be relying on their existing young core, notably point guard Egor Demin. The Nets’ highest pick in the 2025 draft that featured five first-rounders for Brooklyn, Demin had an intriguing rookie year and could be ready to take a next step.
As the Nets get ready for their season opener on Wednesday night against the Charlotte Hornets, Demin should be front and center of Brooklyn’s success. Perhaps the most interesting player on the Nets’ roster coming into the year, Demin has plenty of backers and doubters, as he’s quietly become a polarizing figure around the league.
After an interesting rookie year, there are a few areas where the Nets would like to see some growth, and showcasing that in the first game of the season would be encouraging. As a rookie, Demin averaged 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc.
Obviously, the Nets would love for that 3-point shooting clip to remain in that range, but seeing some semi-significant improvement in other aspects of his game would be massive. As the potential point guard of the future in Brooklyn, Demin upping his assist numbers would make things easier for the Nets in several aspects.
One way he could do that is by getting downhill more often to get more paint touches and put more pressure on opposing defenses. That also ties in with another area that will be perhaps the most interesting to watch this season: Demin’s shot diet.
Last season, Demin took 6.2 3-point attempts per game, which isn’t something Brooklyn would necessarily like to see decrease. However, it may be an issue if those looks account for 71.7% of his total shot attempts again.
Getting inside and showcasing his skills as a creator will be crucial for the growth of his game and the Nets. Ultimately, game 1 against Charlotte won’t answer any of these questions altogether, but an impressive showing with signs of growth to open the season would be a welcome sight in Brooklyn.
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