Nets' Egor Demin's conditioning, weight work starts to pay dividends

Egor Dëmin’s offseason work is showing early for the Brooklyn Nets after he started at point guard in their 124-90 preseason opener against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night in Charlotte. Coach Jordi Fernández highlighted the guard’s aggressiveness in attacking paint, which helped unlock passing—he tied for the team lead with five assists—along with improved strength. The Nets’ young sophomore also knocked down 2-of-3 from three and played 18:26. Brooklyn’s rebuilding strategy after two tanking seasons has centered on maximizing available talent rather than forcing minutes. Dëmin’s improved downhill game included going 22-for-29 in the paint.