Halfway through Egor Dëmin’s rookie season, the Nets slid him off the ball. A year later, with Mikel Brown Jr. out, they’ve moved him back to lead guard.
So, is Dëmin a point guard? A shooting guard?
Neither, Dëmin says. He’s a player, and he’s a winner.
And early preseason returns say the Russian might be right.
“I think back to last year in summer league — and even before that on the predraft when I was in the workout with Brooklyn — I’ve been saying at all times to Jordi [Fernández] and the other coaches that I’m seeing myself as a very versatile player in the future and that I want to be anywhere I can benefit the team,” Dëmin said. “I’m a winner, so I want to win as much as I can.
“If that means for me to have 25 assists and five points, or whatever that means for me, I want to win first. Working on certain things helps to be even more versatile, whether I’m off or on the ball. And that’s the goal, for sure, is being everywhere and being able to be everywhere. You look at LeBron [James], he can play from 1-through-5.”
Dëmin started a second preseason game Thursday at point guard and sparked a second Nets win, this one 114-108 over James’ 76ers at Barclays Center.
With Brown unavailable, Dëmin had 13 points, a game high-tying five assists and finished a game-high plus-13 in 21:36. It was another auspicious outing.
“Very composed, five assists, one turnover, got to the paint multiple times,” Fernández said. “You just can see how much he’s improved already from last year. I probably wanted him to be a little bit more aggressive shooting 3s, but his willingness to get everybody involved is showing. He played the right way, defended. … He was a good leader handling the ball, communicating with everybody. His voice is growing, so it’s very important.”
Using his voice is vital for the 20-year-old sophomore, who is rapidly growing into a leadership role on this young, rebuilding Nets team.
“He’s not afraid to lead,” Julius Randle said. “We know what he does on the court, talent-wise how he is, but he’s not afraid to lead and use his voice. And I try to encourage him to do that even more. You’re not too young to be a leader. So, he’s very vocal.
“You can tell he’s comfortable in his own skin, with who he is as a player, and really understands the game. So he’s never trying to prove anything out there; he’s just playing the game and making the right plays. But he’s not afraid to use his voice. You can tell he has a point guard background. So he knows how to lead a team and get us organized. He has a bright future.”
Dëmin started last season as a point guard but too often got turned at the point of attack and couldn’t drive. An offseason spent bulking up and working on his downhill game has paid dividends.
“Last year, it looked like he touched the paint, he had no plan for it,” Fernández said. “He worked, and he put his mind to it and handling pressure. He’s just like a new player.”
This new player gives Fernández options if he and Brown can play on or off the ball once the latter returns.
Dëmin repeatedly touched the paint during the win at Charlotte on Tuesday. On Thursday, he crossed up James and went over Joel Embiid for what likely was the best drive of his life.
“I’m really trying to be a leader of this group in the most selfless way,” Dëmin said. “I want to win and I want to do whatever it takes to win. I want to make sure that I understand every single person and that’s my way to lead.
“Obviously, putting as much work as I can to lead as an example of what I’m doing from a development standpoint and being vocal is what Julius talked about is going to be a big part of who I am.”
