Egor Demin is expected to make his Nets debut in Friday’s preseason finale against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.
Demin, the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of BYU and the centerpiece of Brooklyn’s historic five-rookie class, had been recovering from a plantar fascia tear suffered after Summer League that sidelined him for most of training camp. He missed the Nets’ first three preseason games but was cleared for full 5-on-5 contact while the team was in Macao last week.
The 6-9 Russian guard last suited up in Las Vegas, where he averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and one steal over three Summer League games while shooting 43.5% from three on 23 attempts. Head coach Jordi Fernández didn’t specify how many minutes Demin will play against Toronto but said he’s eager to finally see the rookie return to the court.
“Now he’s ready to see the floor,” Fernández said. “So, good news is tomorrow he’ll have some minutes, and that’s exciting. I’m excited for him. He’s done a great job and now we’re ready to take the next step.”
Fernández said his message to Demin ahead of his debut will be simple: enjoy the moment. The Nets coach doesn’t want the 19-year-old feeling pressure or trying to do too much in his first taste of NBA action, though he’ll still expect him to meet the same standards as everyone else.
“I don’t want him to try to analyze everything and to just go out there and have fun,” Fernández said.
With Demin finally healthy, Fernández now faces the task of blending him into a rotation that already features three rookie ball handlers in Nolan Traore, Drake Powell and Ben Saraf. He said it’s about balance — giving veterans the right ramp-up while also giving his young guards the space to grow, compete and prove themselves.
“I don’t have a crystal ball so I don’t know if I can answer the question,” Fernández said of his rookie guards. “What I’m excited about is to see how the process is going to go. They’re all going to fight for some of the same minutes. They’re all going to fight for some of the wing minutes. But right now, for sure, the starting point guard and backup point guard [spots], those three are fighting for those minutes, and that’s great, because we’re going to see a lot of the young talent we’ve drafted playing real NBA minutes.”
How those minutes are divided against Toronto will depend largely on the flow of the game. Brooklyn will begin with its planned structure around its starters and backups but could adjust based on circumstances. In preseason, Fernández said, nothing is scripted. The goal is to stay adaptable and let competition guide the process.
“You go into the game with a plan, but then it depends on how the game goes, you have to pivot one way or the other,” Fernández said. “We’re initially going to follow the plan based on stars and backups. But then if, depending on how the game goes, we may pivot different ways. So, you never know with these preseason games, it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen.”
