Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes just dropped a bomb, straight up predicting Egor Demin will be the Brooklyn Nets’ best player by 2029. Seriously, he’s talking about a 20-year-old guard already owning that title. This isn’t just a wild guess, though, Hughes dove deep, comparing Demin to this year’s No. 6 overall pick, Mikel Brown Jr., and Demin’s Summer League performance is what sealed the deal for him.
Demin Flashes That Future Star Power
Hughes is clearly all in on Demin, calling him the absolute best bet among the young guys to lead the Nets. Why Demin over Brown, you ask? Hughes straight up says Brown is “too much of a mystery.” But Demin? Man, he was draining 38.5% from deep last season, already showing off that “connective passing” Brooklyn’s been dreaming about. And then Summer League hit. We’re talking rapidly developing on-ball skills and scoring chops inside the arc! This dude’s only 20, too. It’s wild.
The Summer League Stats That Pop Off the Page
Let’s get real about the numbers, because they totally back up Hughes’ bold claim. In just five games across the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League, Demin put up a ridiculous 21.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. His shooting was solid too, hitting 47.3% from the field. Yeah, his three-point percentage was 28.9%, but the overall package? That’s what really turned heads. Brown, also 20, had a solid summer too, don’t get it twisted. He averaged 15.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.2 steals in four games, shooting 38.8% from the floor and 34.6% from deep. Good, but Demin’s overall explosion was just something else.
The Nets are still grinding through this rebuild, trying to find that perfect combo to become a legit playoff contender. With two 20-year-old guards like Demin and Brown already showing out, the future’s looking a lot brighter, right? Is Demin really gonna be *the* guy? The debate is definitely on, but based on his Summer League explosion, it’s getting harder and harder to argue against it. You gotta keep a close eye on these two as they push this Brooklyn squad forward. This is gonna be fun to watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply