Nets rookies Egor Demin and Drake Powell will be limited at the start of training camp because of injuries, general manager Sean Marks told reporters Tuesday at Media Day in Brooklyn.
Demin, the No. 8 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of BYU, has been recovering from a plantar fascia tear suffered after Summer League. Powell, selected 22nd overall from North Carolina, missed Summer League with left knee tendinopathy and has yet to be cleared for full 5-on-5 work.
“I’m not a doctor, so it’s hard for me to even tell what’s going on with it,” Demin said. “So, for me, it’s just important to stay present and I’m trying to focus on whatever plan I have from the physicians, right, and whatever timing I have from them.”
The rookies will be eased in through camp. Demin brushed off concerns, calling his setback “not that big of a deal” and more about workload than severity. Marks expects him ready by opening night and hopes Powell can get on the floor during preseason.
“My knee has been doing good,” Powell said. “I’ve been sticking with the program that my strength and conditioning staff has given me and just continuing to build each day, come in with the right mindset and just stay level-headed and continue to grow from that.”
Demin impressed in Las Vegas, averaging 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and a steal in three games while hitting 43.5% of his threes on 23 attempts. The performance eased doubts about his jumper but also showed where he must grow — 23 of his 27 shots came from behind the arc.
His ability to handle NBA physicality and score inside will be the next test. The 19-year-old has already made strides, bulking from 199 pounds on draft night to 210 on Brooklyn’s camp roster, a clear signal of his dedication to development.
“I think for me, watching film from last year, it’s obviously a lot about physicality and how to use my body to my advantage,” Demin said. “Decision-making is a big thing since in the league physicality is at a deeper level, the speed of the players is on a deeper level, reactions, so decision-making has to be at a deeper level to be able to deal with all that.”
Powell arrives with defensive pedigree as the fourth freshman ever to claim North Carolina’s Defensive Player of the Year award but remains more of a mystery than Brooklyn’s other rookies. His lone college season produced modest numbers in limited usage. Now the intrigue now lies in how the fellow 19-year-old responds when given the chance to play heavier minutes in the league.
“[I’m] just a guy that’s on the floor, coming in ready to compete each day,” Powell said. “One who’s going to be there for his teammates whenever they need him to make the right play and just continue to learn more about the tendencies of my teammates, if I can help them and benefit them in a way that will help the team win.”
