The Brooklyn Nets are attempting to develop an NBA-record five rookie first-round picks this season. Early in that process, Jordi Fernandez made it clear that rookie minutes will be earned, not given. That goes for not only Brooklyn's late first-round picks, but also Egor Demin, the team's starting point guard and first lottery selection in 15 years.
Demin turned in a solid stretch after entering Brooklyn's starting lineup in early November. However, he's struggled in recent games and turned in one of his worst performances of the season on Friday. The 19-year-old posted three points on 1-of-7 shooting with one assist and two turnovers in 18 minutes during the Nets' 119-111 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
“I think that he was trying to fix mistakes by trying to make things happen, and that is not how you want to do things,” Fernandez said. “I need him to play with better readiness and better physicality, and this is not the way that the team needs him to play. So he's got to be better. Otherwise, the minutes are going to go down, and somebody else will take advantage of them. I know that he cares. He's always responded and punched back. He's he's way better than the way he performed tonight.”
Demin shot just 1-of-4 from three and struggled to find his rhythm as a driver and facilitator. He missed badly on multiple drives and had a pair of ill-advised second-half turnovers.
Egor Demin receives Jordi Fernandez challange after benching during loss
Fernandez benched Demin for most of the fourth quarter, closing with Danny Wolf instead. Wolf turned in another high-level performance, posting 17 points and seven rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 from three.
Following a slow start, Demin turned a corner after stepping in as Brooklyn's starting point guard. Entering Friday's game, he had averaged 10.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists on .394/.363/.900 shooting splits over 14 games as a starter. Demin and Derik Queen were the NBA's only rookies to average 10 points, three rebounds, and four assists during that span.
Demin's has drawn praise from Fernandez for his poise as a playmaker and increased aggression as a driver. The Russian floor general's 2.05 ast/to ratio ranks third among nine rookie guards playing over 20 minutes per game this season. After failing to attempt a two-point field goal during his first five games, Demin had shot 44.7 percent on 3.4 two-point attempts per game as a starter before Friday's loss.
However, Demin deviated from that steadiness in Dallas. The rookie will have an opportunity to get back on track when the Nets host the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday at Barclays Center.
