Nets rookie guard Egor Demin will miss Monday’s game against the Houston Rockets as the team continues to manage the plantar fascia tear he suffered over the summer.
The No. 8 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft was limited throughout training camp because of the injury and appeared in only one preseason game. In three regular-season appearances, he’s averaged 8.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 50% from the field and 50% from deep in 22 minutes per game.
Demin’s 3-point stroke looks noticeably sharper than it did at BYU, but all 16 of his regular-season shots have come from deep, underscoring the need to build strength and improve his handle to generate more looks inside.
“I think it’s about just the mindset and really how can we trust ourselves?,” Demin said. “And trust our work? And trust our coaches who have been putting this information into our heads throughout the summer? How can we execute it better? How can we be more aggressive?”
Ziaire Williams will miss Monday’s game in Houston with a lower back contusion suffered in Sunday’s 118-107 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The fifth-year forward, who signed a multi-year extension in September, is off to a strong start, averaging a career-best 10.3 points on 50% shooting overall and 46.7% from deep. The 6-9 wing erupted for 25 points and six 3s in Friday loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I worked my butt off every day this summer,” Williams said. “You know, thousands and thousands of shots, three times a day, all different footwork. There’s not any shot that I shoot in a game I haven’t worked on. And I’m a true believer that, you know, the amount of work you put in always comes back. And you know, I just try to trust God and trust my work. And I’m glad I made some shots today.”
Lastly, rookies Drake Powell and Danny Wolf have been assigned to the Long Island Nets and will practice with the team as it opens training camp this week. Powell’s only NBA action came in the season opener against the Charlotte Hornets, where he played seven minutes, while Wolf has yet to appear for Brooklyn because of an ankle sprain.
“The G League is probably the most similar to NBA speed you’re going to get,” Noah Clowney said. “Overseas guys, I don’t watch overseas basketball so I can’t speak for it. What I can say is you can tell they’ve been pros for longer. They’re a little more poised with the ball. Pressure doesn’t affect them as much. So, like, G League, I think it’s good for anybody that goes there. If you go there with a positive mindset, it’ll be all right.”
