Egor Dëmin, a young guard for the Brooklyn Nets, has shown significant improvement in his second preseason game after working hard during the offseason to enhance his physical conditioning and driving ability. In the Nets' 124-90 win over the Charlotte Hornets, Dëmin started at point guard and played 18 minutes, contributing five assists and six points, including two three-point shots. His increased effectiveness in attacking the paint has caught the attention of both coaches and teammates, with Michael Porter Jr. praising his improved scoring and passing abilities. The article highlights how Dëmin's progress could significantly impact Brooklyn's rebuild strategy as they look to exceed expectations after consecutive seasons of tanking for draft picks.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
When the Nets tipped off their preseason Tuesday night in Charlotte, a strong offseason by Egor Dëmin had buoyed hopes of a potential sophomore leap.
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offseason → tip → leap
Brooklyn’s young guard said he’s not the player he was in summer league.
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he → say → league
He’s better.
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He → ’ → ?
“Yeah, my goal is to translate not just a part of what I did in summer league, but even more, right?” said Dëmin, who has worked to improve his driving and shore up his Achilles’ heel.
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who → translate → heel
“Obviously I had some more time after summer league, and I kept working on that stuff.
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I → have → stuff
And I think I’m even better right now than I was in summer league.”
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I → think → league
The Nets can only hope so.
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Nets → hope → ?
That would give them a leg up in their rebuild.
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That → give → rebuild
Dëmin starting the Nets’ 124-90 preseason-opening win over the Hornets was hardly a surprise, but his getting the nod at point guard was noteworthy.
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getting → start → guard
Dëmin’s playing time was limited, though his 18:26 led all the starters.
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18:26 → lead → starters
He hit 2-of-3 from 3-point range (six points), but his repeated paint touches unlocked his passing.
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touches → hit → passing
He handed out a game high-tying five assists, including a second-quarter drive down the lane and behind-the-back pass to Day’Ron Sharpe for a dunk.
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He → hand → dunk
It showed not only the Nets’ faith that he was more capable of handling on-ball duties, but that they were less intent on force-feeding minutes to their sophomore point guards — regardless of struggles — and more intent on playing the best available, and winning.
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they → show → best
Brooklyn tanked through two arduous seasons to get consecutive lottery picks that became first Dëmin and then Mikel Brown Jr.
Dëmin taking a quantum leap would let the Nets advance their rebuild and exceed expectations.
“To win as many games as possible,” Dëmin said.
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Dëmin → tank → games
“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.”
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it → orient → ?
Dëmin would have to be a big part of that.
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Dëmin → have → that
Billed as a point guard, he was turned too often at the point of attack and kept out of the paint.
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he → bill → paint
Work with head strength and conditioning coach Alvin Dike has let Dëmin get bigger and stronger, and his downhill game benefited.
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game → let → Dike
After having gone just 1-for-4 inside the arc during his rookie summer league, this time Dëmin showed far more downhill juice in going 22-for-29.
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Dëmin → go → 22
“I’m excited to play with Egor,” Michael Porter Jr. said.
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Jr. → ’m → Egor
“He’s a phenomenal shooter and scorer, but also a great passer.
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He → ’ → ?
So he can do a lot of things on the court, rebound, push the break, shoot the ball.
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he → do → ball
And now that he’s getting in the paint and finishing around the rim, he’ll make a humongous jump.”
The preseason opener was his first chance to show it against NBA competition.
With Brown still working his way back from a rolled ankle, the Nets needed a lead guard.
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Nets → get → guard
Coach Jordi Fernández went with veteran Keon Ellis at off guard and put Dëmin on the ball rather than Nolan Traore or Ben Saraf.
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Fernández → go → Traore
It was an acknowledgment of how much Brooklyn needs Ellis’ point-of-attack defense, but also a show of faith in how real they believe Dëmin’s improved driving is.
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driving → need → faith
It would let the Nets stagger him and Brown going forward, and in turn leverage the defense of Ellis and/or Terance Mann.
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Nets → let → Ellis
“Yeah, I can’t rave on Egor enough in terms of the work he’s put in, the difference that I’m seeing with him playing,” Porter said.
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Porter → rave → that
“And Egor was a dude who already last year had such big flashes.
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who → have → flashes
He showed a lot of clutch performances.
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He → show → performances
He showed his fearlessness, his shooting ability.
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He → show → fearlessness
And working with [Dike] in the weight room, [he looks] better and different.
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he → work → room
Guys aren’t able to crowd him and be physical around him.
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Guys → crowd → him
He’s very comfortable with the ball in his hands.
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He → ’ → hands
He’s also, as a scorer, touching the paint more, getting downhill more, looks very comfortable finishing around the rim.
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He → touch → rim
So Egor is very comfortable playing the point guard position or the shooting guard position.
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Egor → play → position
He definitely has physically matured enough to play the point guard if that’s needed, because guys aren’t bothering him when he’s pressured.”
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he → mature → him
The Aporia
