Egor Dëmin continues to shine, scores 20 points

Dëmin played well on both Saturday and Monday as the Nets capped their California Classic with a 100-79 victory over the Warriors. As was the case for most of his rookie campaign, the 6-foot-9 guard spent more time finishing than playmaking, and he was excellent. While a foot injury ended his season in early March, Dëmin was the most promising of the five players the Nets selected in the first round of last summer’s draft. Thus far, his play this summer has shown that his foot is no longer an issue, and he’s ready to take another step forward in Year Two.

As a rookie, 71.7 percent of Dëmin’s shot attempts were from beyond the arc, and 69.3 percent of his total made field goals were from deep. Getting to the rim and scoring inside the arc were both question marks for him as a prospect and after his rookie season, but he certainly looked better in that regard in this game. He should once again play a major role for the Nets this upcoming season.

Less than a week after it was announced by Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez that Dëmin did not have a return timeline, the rookie has been ruled out for the rest of the season. The eighth overall pick in last summer’s draft, Dëmin has been dealing with plantar fascia issues in his left foot since the summer. While the Nets managed his workload throughout the season, with the rookie not playing back-to-backs, the issue flared up recently. The expectation is that he’ll be good to go for basketball activity early in the offseason. Dëmin appeared in 52 games, starting 45, and averaged 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.4 three-pointers in 25.2 minutes. While perimeter shooting was believed to be a significant question mark during the pre-draft process, Dëmin shot 38.5 percent from beyond the arc. The most consistent of the Nets’ five first-round picks, he’s someone who will be worth picking in drafts next fall.

Plantar fasciitis has been an issue for Dëmin since the preseason, but the Nets have been able to manage his workload for most of this season. However, the rookie has missed the last three games and it’s unknown when Dëmin will return to action. Terance Mann has moved into the starting lineup, but he doesn’t offer the production needed to impact fantasy basketball.

Thursday’s game will be the third that Dëmin has missed due to his current foot injury. Terance Mann has moved into the starting lineup, most recently logging 27 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Heat. He is not worth the risk in fantasy leagues.

Tuesday’s game will be the second straight that Dëmin has missed due to his foot. Terance Mann moved into the starting lineup for Sunday’s loss to the Cavaliers, but he only played 14 minutes. There’s no need to consider streaming him, especially after Ziaire Williams logged 33 minutes off the bench.

While Sunday’s game is not part of a back-to-back, the Nets are still resting Dëmin for left plantar fascia injury management reasons. With Drake Powell being optioned ot the team’s G League affiliate, the Nets may give another rookie, Ben Saraf, more rotation minutes. He is not worth the streaming risk in redraft leagues.

Dëmin did not play in Monday’s win over the Bulls, as it was Brooklyn’s second game in as many nights. The rookie’s return will likely push Terance Mann to the bench, a role in which he offers minimal fantasy value.

Monday’s game isn’t part of a back-to-back, but the Nets will still give the rookie a night off. His absence could lead to Terance Mann returning to the starting lineup, but the veteran wing is not worth the risk in most fantasy leagues.

Two days removed from combining with Egor Dëmin to become the first Nets rookie tandem to score 20 points or more in the same game since 1982, Traoré had another solid outing. While the overall numbers were modest, the rookie point guard committed just one turnover in 24 minutes. With Dëmin (4/2/2/1/1) getting his minutes at the off-guard spot, the Nets have relied on Traoré and another rookie, Ben Saraf (10/4/4/2 with one three-pointer in 24 minutes) to run the show. Dëmin is the safest fantasy option of the three perimeter rookies, but Traoré is worth watching.