When the Nets tipped off their preseason Tuesday night in Charlotte, a strong offseason by Egor Dëmin had buoyed hopes of a potential sophomore leap.
asserted
offseason → tip → leap
Brooklyn’s young guard said he’s not the player he was in summer league.
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he → say → league
He’s better.
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He → ’ → ?
“Yeah, my goal is to translate not just a part of what I did in summer league, but even more, right?” said Dëmin, who has worked to improve his driving and shore up his Achilles’ heel.
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who → translate → heel
“Obviously I had some more time after summer league, and I kept working on that stuff.
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I → have → stuff
And I think I’m even better right now than I was in summer league.”
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I → think → league
The Nets can only hope so.
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Nets → hope → ?
That would give them a leg up in their rebuild.
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That → give → rebuild
Dëmin starting the Nets’ 124-90 preseason-opening win over the Hornets was hardly a surprise, but his getting the nod at point guard was noteworthy.
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getting → start → guard
Dëmin’s playing time was limited, though his 18:26 led all the starters.
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18:26 → lead → starters
He hit 2-of-3 from 3-point range (six points), but his repeated paint touches unlocked his passing.
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touches → hit → passing
He handed out a game high-tying five assists, including a second-quarter drive down the lane and behind-the-back pass to Day’Ron Sharpe for a dunk.
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He → hand → dunk
It showed not only the Nets’ faith that he was more capable of handling on-ball duties, but that they were less intent on force-feeding minutes to their sophomore point guards — regardless of struggles — and more intent on playing the best available, and winning.
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they → show → best
Brooklyn tanked through two arduous seasons to get consecutive lottery picks that became first Dëmin and then Mikel Brown Jr.
Dëmin taking a quantum leap would let the Nets advance their rebuild and exceed expectations.
“To win as many games as possible,” Dëmin said.
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Dëmin → tank → games
“Our process is oriented now on getting there each day, at least a little bit, but getting there, no matter whether it’s a game day, practice day, or an update.”
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it → orient → ?
Dëmin would have to be a big part of that.
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Dëmin → have → that
Billed as a point guard, he was turned too often at the point of attack and kept out of the paint.
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he → bill → paint
Work with head strength and conditioning coach Alvin Dike has let Dëmin get bigger and stronger, and his downhill game benefited.
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game → let → Dike
After having gone just 1-for-4 inside the arc during his rookie summer league, this time Dëmin showed far more downhill juice in going 22-for-29.
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Dëmin → go → 22
“I’m excited to play with Egor,” Michael Porter Jr. said.
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Jr. → ’m → Egor
“He’s a phenomenal shooter and scorer, but also a great passer.
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He → ’ → ?
So he can do a lot of things on the court, rebound, push the break, shoot the ball.
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he → do → ball
And now that he’s getting in the paint and finishing around the rim, he’ll make a humongous jump.”
The preseason opener was his first chance to show it against NBA competition.
With Brown still working his way back from a rolled ankle, the Nets needed a lead guard.
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Nets → get → guard
Coach Jordi Fernández went with veteran Keon Ellis at off guard and put Dëmin on the ball rather than Nolan Traore or Ben Saraf.
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Fernández → go → Traore
It was an acknowledgment of how much Brooklyn needs Ellis’ point-of-attack defense, but also a show of faith in how real they believe Dëmin’s improved driving is.
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driving → need → faith
It would let the Nets stagger him and Brown going forward, and in turn leverage the defense of Ellis and/or Terance Mann.
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Nets → let → Ellis
“Yeah, I can’t rave on Egor enough in terms of the work he’s put in, the difference that I’m seeing with him playing,” Porter said.
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Porter → rave → that
“And Egor was a dude who already last year had such big flashes.
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who → have → flashes
He showed a lot of clutch performances.
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He → show → performances
He showed his fearlessness, his shooting ability.
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He → show → fearlessness
And working with [Dike] in the weight room, [he looks] better and different.
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he → work → room
Guys aren’t able to crowd him and be physical around him.
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Guys → crowd → him
He’s very comfortable with the ball in his hands.
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He → ’ → hands
He’s also, as a scorer, touching the paint more, getting downhill more, looks very comfortable finishing around the rim.
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He → touch → rim
So Egor is very comfortable playing the point guard position or the shooting guard position.
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Egor → play → position
He definitely has physically matured enough to play the point guard if that’s needed, because guys aren’t bothering him when he’s pressured.”
asserted
he → mature → him
The Aporia
