Egor Demin Focused on Effort, Not Excitement, in Nets Summer League Debut

While Egor Demin didn't dazzle in his NBA2K26 Summer League debut in Las Vegas, he still displayed some positive traits in the Brooklyn Nets' 90-81 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In just 10 minutes of first-half action, Demin shot 0-of-3 from the field, committed two turnovers and picked up two fouls. As he became more comfortable, his performance improved, resulting in an eight-point, four-rebound outing.

But Demin's desires go beyond the stat sheet. The 19-year-old guard said his primary focus was on making an impact postgame.

"I don’t want to say I actually had this feeling of like first game excitement. I think this feeling got out before we got on the court for me, personally," Demin said via Sharif Phillips-Keaton of Nets Wire. "I was really trying to be dialed in and stay focused and from the first second, try to give my best effort."

Demin's words perfectly align with head coach Jordi Fernandez's intended identity, one built on high motors and constant intensity.

"I was talking before, for me, it was about effort. I wanted to give the best energy I can, the best effort on defense and offense, and try to be as impactful as I can be for the team," Demin said.

Perhaps it was due to early inefficiency, but Demin's lack of an assist last night may have been a result of his positional role. The BYU product was passed up as the Nets' primary facilitator against the Thunder in favor of Nolan Traore, who had the best performance of all the Brooklyn rookies.

Danny Wolf, the 27th-overall pick, also possesses unique distributing capabilities for his size, another aspect that may have contributed to Demin's rough night offensively.

Demin is still a raw prospect. The Nets knew this well before they drafted him. But, this early in his career, his mindset and attitude are paramount.

We've seen plenty of highly touted rookies fall flat on their faces in their summer league debuts. The key with these situations is patience.

It worked with Victor Wembanyama in 2023 and Trae Young in 2018. Both players eventually blossomed into superstars despite failing to impress in their first taste of NBA action.

Brooklyn hopes that Demin will be the latest prospect to fall into their category.