Where does Nets' Egor Demin Rank Among NBA Atlantic Division Point Guards?

Demin’s spot at the bottom of this ranking is less of an indictment on his talent and more about his inexperience. Demin was the eighth overall pick out of BYU in this past year's NBA Draft. On an extremely young and inexperienced Nets roster, Demin or fellow rookie Nolan Traore looks poised to be the starting point guard in his first year in the league.

At BYU, he averaged 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. The 6-foot-9 point guard has the length and athleticism to be an absolute pest defensively, but will need to improve on his 27.3% accuracy from behind the arc at BYU. If he can do that, he could skyrocket up this list after a strong rookie campaign.

4. Immanuel Quickley, Toronto Raptors

Last season was difficult for Quickley, who dealt with a multitude of injuries that limited him to just 33 games. But in those games, he played well, averaging 17.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game while shooting almost 38% from three. His 5.8 to 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio isn’t great, but could be worse.

The Raptors are also a very young team, with a few more proven commodities than the Nets. If Quickley can stay healthy for a period of time, he’ll be one of the more underrated point guards in the league. But the injury concerns are legit, which hampers his ability to be higher on this list. 

Derrick White, Boston Celtics

White will be asked to do a lot more offensively this season, with Jayson Tatum set to miss the entire season due to injury. White is coming off a big season, averaging a career-best 16.4 points per game last season, to go along with 4.8 assists per night. But it’s his work on the defensive side of the ball that elevates him to this spot on the list.

In 2024-25, for the second season in a row, White finished in the top ten in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting. His play on that side of the ball is elite, and gives the Celtics a ton of defensive versatility. Boston could start Anfernee Simons or Payton Pritchard at the point guard spot, but White brings the best of both worlds to the table. A great all-around player, deserving of his spot at third on this list.

2. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers were ravaged by injuries and poor performances last season, but Maxey was one of the lone bright spots on the roster. While injuries limited him to 52 games, the 2023-24 Most Improved Player was great once again. He averaged a career-best 26.3 points per game, to go along with 6.1 assists and 1.8 steals per contest. While his three-point percentage dropped to 33.7%, his overall scoring prowess was on full display.

 With a healthier roster in 2025-26, the 76ers are hoping to ride their young star guard to more wins. At just 24 years old, Maxey is someone Philadelphia can build around for the next seven to eight years. Maxey’s ability to score the basketball, along with his high levels of energy on defense, make him one of the best young superstars in the NBA.

Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

Jalen Brunson is one of the best players in the league, regardless of division or position. Last season, he averaged 26.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. He shot 48.8% from the field and 38.3% from three. Brunson was worth a whopping 8.3 win shares last season, being a big reason why the Knicks made a conference finals run.

But the thing that makes Brunson so special is how great he is down the stretch of games in big moments. He won the Clutch Player of the Year award last season, and only got better in the playoffs. Across 18 playoff games last season, he averaged 29.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game while playing almost 38 minutes a night. Brunson is a special talent who elevates his game in big moments, and a big reason why the New York Knicks have seen so much success recently.