After a sluggish start to his rookie NBA campaign, Egor Demin has emerged as a consistent starter for the Brooklyn Nets. Since the lineup change, the eighth overall pick has averaged 10.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per contest.
During a recent interview, Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez made sure to let everyone know about the 19-year-old floor general, who has quietly been one of the league’s most productive rookies over the past few weeks.
“I think he’s more comfortable,” Fernandez said of Demin via Erik Slater of ClutchPoints. “I think he always played like he belongs, and that’s been great. I remember since (his first) preseason game in Toronto. He played and showed right away why we were so high on him and how he handled himself.”
“It’s not just about the shotmaking, but also seeing the floor and his ability to get deflections and rebounds and all those things. We’ve seen how much better he’s gotten from day one. We’re close to 20 games in, and we still wanna see more and better,” he added.
Brooklyn Nets News: Jordi Fernandez delivers Egor Demin verdict in loss vs. Utah Jazz
Egor Demin didn’t play well in the Brooklyn Nets’ 123-110 loss against the Utah Jazz on Thursday. The BYU product managed only three points, one rebound, and two assists on 1-for-4 shooting from the field in 20 minutes of action. Head coach Jordi Fernandez is giving Demin a pass, revealing that the rookie guard was playing under the weather.
“The energy was not great, but he was dealing with some upper respiratory issues,” Fernandez said of Demin via Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I felt like he (tried) really hard, and the intentions were in the right place. It was just my decision because I know that he’s had problems with that. He was cleared to play, but it was something he had to deal with.”
“That was not his game. Got to get some rest, get back, get good sleep. And then I know he’ll be better. I know he’s going to come back. He has high standards for himself,” he concluded.
