Egor Dëmin dishes out five assists vs. Sixers

Thursday’s defeat likely ended the Nets’ chances of earning a spot in the Summer League semifinals, so this may have been the last action that Dëmin will see in Las Vegas. Like many of his teammates, the second-year guard got off to a slow start before helping the Nets mount a rally early in the fourth quarter. Dëmin shot 5-of-16 from deep against the Rockets, but the increased comfort with the perimeter shot makes him a player worth grabbing in the latter rounds of drafts in the fall. Of the four 2025 first-round picks who were active for the Nets this summer, Dëmin was the best performer by a significant distance.

Dëmin and the Nets moved to 2-1 in Las Vegas with a 115-83 victory on Tuesday, and he had another stellar showing. The second-year guard scored 20 points in the first half alone, helping Brooklyn eliminate any drama in the second half. Of the five players the Nets selected in the first round of last year’s draft, Dëmin is the one who has performed the best, both last season and this summer. While he wasn’t much of a fantasy asset as a rookie, the 6-foot-9 guard will be worth selecting in the late rounds of redraft leagues.

Dëmin played well during the California Classic and carried that into the Nets’ first game in Las Vegas on Friday. Heading into his second NBA season, the 6-foot-9 guard has scored 20 points or more in each of his last three summer appearances. While there is a significant difference between summer league and the regular season, Dëmin has shown signs of progress as a scorer. He’s been both aggressive and efficient, a balance some young players struggle with. We’re approaching the point where it would be fair to ask whether the Nets plan to shut Dëmin down.

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.