Why Egor Dëmin’s All-Summer League honor is encouraging for the Nets
· Yahoo Sports
Egor Dëmin was named to the 2026 NBA All-Summer League Second Team on Tuesday, earning league-wide recognition for a performance built around one of the biggest questions left by his rookie season.
The team was selected through a vote of all 30 NBA organizations based on play in Las Vegas. Dëmin joined Memphis’ Cedric Coward, Phoenix’s Khaman Maluach, Charlotte’s Liam McNeeley and Minnesota’s Zyon Pullin on the second team.
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Summer League honors guarantee nothing, least of all an NBA breakthrough. Still, Dëmin’s selection is meaningful for a Nets team built around development because of how he earned it.
The second-year guard averaged 21 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals in 25.3 minutes over three games in Las Vegas. He recorded a 62.4 true-shooting percentage while committing 1.7 turnovers per game.
Dëmin’s 3-point shot, already his most established NBA weapon, didn’t drive the production. He made just 30% of his attempts from outside the arc in Las Vegas. He produced by getting inside it.
Across five Summer League appearances, including two games at the California Classic, Dëmin converted 22 of 29 2-point attempts. He attacked closeouts, used his size against smaller defenders and reached the paint with a physicality missing from much of his rookie season.
That development gave Brooklyn far more to study than the honor itself.
Dëmin entered the NBA with questions about his shooting. He answered quickly, making 38.5% of his 3-pointers on high volume as a rookie and proving he could contribute away from the ball. He could space the floor, but his trouble began when defenders chased him off the line.
The 20-year-old struggled to create advantages downhill against NBA speed, strength and contact. Opponents crowded his space and knocked him off his path. His size looked intriguing, but he wasn’t yet strong enough to impose it consistently.
Some observers treated those struggles as a verdict. One season was never enough.
Young players enter the league while their bodies, skills and confidence are still developing. They face elite athletes every night while trying to build enough strength to withstand them. A weakness can be exposed long before a player has the physical tools to address it.
Dëmin spent the offseason working on his.
“I got so much stronger, and that gave me more confidence,” Dëmin said. “The next step is trying. The more I try it, I think it gets better and better.”
The added strength gave him the confidence to test the skill repeatedly this summer. He attacked smaller defenders instead of settling. He absorbed contact with better balance. When defenders closed hard on his shot, he used their urgency against them and drove into the space they surrendered.
Brooklyn also placed him in actions requiring more than spot-up shooting. Dëmin handled the ball, operated in screening actions, slipped into space and made reads from the short roll. His size, touch and passing operated within the same possessions.
Switch a smaller player onto him, and he could attack. Give him room, and his shot remained a threat. Send help, and he could find a teammate. The next step is carrying those options into the regular season.
Mikel Brown Jr.’s arrival gives the Nets another young guard capable of initiating offense. It shouldn’t force Dëmin back into a limited off-ball assignment. Dëmin doesn’t need to dominate the ball or become a full-time point guard. His appeal comes from his versatility.
Others around the league noticed the growth. Zach Lowe pointed to Dëmin’s play while expressing optimism about Brooklyn’s young group.
“I think Dëmin is going to be a good value pick at No. 8,” Lowe said.
The All-Summer League vote offered another sign of respect from outside the organization. Dëmin finished among the 10 players honored by representatives from every NBA team.
Brooklyn can’t treat the selection as proof of what comes next. Regular-season defenses will close space faster, absorb contact better and prepare more thoroughly for his habits. Dëmin must show he can create the same advantages against veteran athletes and disciplined coverages.
But the Nets drafted him as a developmental bet. His rookie season established one valuable skill. His offseason work began opening another. For a franchise preaching development, progress must become visible. Dëmin returned stronger, played with more force and attacked a weakness opponents exploited throughout his first season.
“I’m very excited about all the work that I’ve done,” Dëmin said, “and it’s going to keep growing.”