Nets’ Egor Demin reveals mental shift in key area that could drive sophomore leap

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Egor Demin’s development was the talk of the Brooklyn Nets’ offseason. The former No. 8 pick’s physical improvement has left many confident that he’ll make a sophomore leap. How much has Demin grown physically since his rookie campaign?

“Maybe you ask performance about his weight and how much bigger his biceps are. Maybe that’s a way to quantify it,” said head coach Jordi Fernandez. “I’m very happy with the way he’s played. We all know that he’s a very smart player. He sees the floor very well, and he’s done a great job getting into the paint.”

Demin was overmatched physically as a rookie, ranking near the bottom of the NBA in interior scoring. He spent much of his offseason in the “lifting room” aiming to improve that hole in his game. The 20-year-old’s body transformation has been noticeable, although he wouldn’t quantify how much stronger he’s gotten.

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“That’s true… I’m not going to be able to get into numbers, but there was a growth, a significant growth in what dumbbells I’m picking up on arm day,” Demin said with a laugh.

Demin’s three-point shooting drove much of his impact as a rookie. The No. 8 pick shot 38.5 percent from distance on 12.2 attempts per 100 possessions. However, he shot just 43.3 percent on twos, the lowest mark among all players 6-foot-8 or taller. His limited driving ability held him back as a playmaker, as he averaged 6.5 assists per 100 possessions compared to 11.6 per 100 at BYU.

Can Egor Demin carry over driving improvement to regular season with Nets?

Demin made wholesale improvements as a driver at Summer League, converting 22-of-29 two-point attempts across five appearances. He continued to look more comfortable getting downhill this preseason.

The Nets guard attempted 8.5 two-pointers per 36 minutes in four preseason games, up from 3.5 per 36 during his rookie season. However, Demin converted just 35 percent of those attempts.

What has the Nets coaching staff instructed the second-year guard to focus on when he gets into the paint?

“Being strong to finish. If not, play off two feet and look for the spray or keep your options open, but don’t go in there without a plan,” Fernandez said. “And I think he’s done a great job. He’s worked at it this summer. And so far he’s shown that he’s way more comfortable getting there now. And as you guys know, when you’re 18, 19, the game goes so fast, and now it kind of slows down because you’re more confident, you’re stronger. And now we’ve seen it in preseason. He’s just got to continue to do it in the regular season.”

Demin has shown he can get downhill and finish through contact. His most impressive drive as a Net came during a recent preseason matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers, as he crossed over LeBron James and finished through Joel Embiid at the rim.