Egor Demin

Nets Notes: Demin, Thomas, Porter, Clowney

November 9th, 2025 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rookie guard Egor Demin made his first career start Friday night, and he’s likely to remain in that role while Cam Thomas recovers from his strained hamstring, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Nets coach Jordi Fernandez was encouraged by what he saw from the No. 8 pick in this year’s draft, who had eight points, seven assists and only one turnover.

“He’s a really smart kid. He asks questions, he works at it, so I know he’ll understand all that,” Fernandez said. “His super power on defense (is) his length and rebounding. And if you look at (Friday), he grabbed three rebounds. And he should be able to get a lot of deflections because … his length, his positioning on defense is very good. So, keep growing on that end of the floor for sure.”

Lewis cites a “teaching moment” that occurred late in the first half after Demin forced a pair of shots during a 9-0 run by Detroit. Fernandez took him aside to explain the errors, and Demin said he appreciates the guidance.

“It’s really good for everybody — not just me, but the whole group in general — knowing that Jordi is really trying to help us and help the group,” he said. “And he’s super open to communicate and tell us what exactly he wants from us and not just the group, but each of us as personnel. And for me, it’s important to hear some advice from him during the game, before the game, after the game, things like this. So I think it’s really cool.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

Thomas is projected to miss three-to-four weeks, but he said the injury doesn’t feel as severe as when he hurt his hamstring last season, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter video link). “It’s way different,” Thomas said. “It’s not as bad as the last one, I’ll say that. I dodged a bullet with that.”
After being acquired from Denver over the summer, Michael Porter Jr. is experiencing what it’s like to be in a starring role rather a complementary player, Lewis states in a separate story. The Nets will rely on Porter to carry the offense even more while Thomas is sidelined. “I’m going to push myself to be able to handle a bigger load than I used to,” Porter said. “I’ve always been someone that can adapt to a situation. … As the season goes on, I’ll get even more comfortable figuring out how I can get good looks off against some of these really good defenders. It’s going to be a work in progress.”
Noah Clowney reached double figures in scoring on Friday for the third straight time since being inserted into the starting lineup, notes C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News. Clowney tied his career high by hitting four three-pointers in a quarter and finished with a season-best 19 points.

Nets Notes: Clowney, Demin, Saraf, Mann, Williams, Claxton

November 1st, 2025 at 11:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets are off to a 0-5 start and Noah Clowney has been part of the problem. The forward has scored just 5.2 points per game while shooting 25% from the field, mostly from beyond the arc. The coaching staff wants Clowney to keep firing away.

“Just keep shooting it,” coach Jordi Fernández told Dan Martin of the New York Post. “Don’t overthink it.”

The front office picked up Clowney’s 2026/27 option at the start of the season. The third-year forward/center averaged 9.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per contest last season, shooting just 35.8% from the floor in 46 games.

“We need Noah,” Fernández said. “Noah is a big presence for our team. [He has] toughness, size, shooting, rebounding [and] winning plays. We need more verticality and he’s a big part of doing that.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

Fernandez sat rookies Egor Demin and Ben Saraf for the entire fourth quarter of their 117-112 loss to the Hawks on Wednesday, as the coach decided to go with veterans Tyrese Martin and Terance Mann, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes. Demin has shot 9-for-22 from beyond the arc this season but hasn’t even attempted a shot inside the three-point line. “Yeah, he’s got to figure it out. Obviously, I want him to touch the paint,” Fernández said. “We all, everybody, will figure it out that he’s a threat from the three-point line, but he cannot play just behind the three.”
As for Mann, whose three-year, $47MM extension he signed with the Clippers last October kicked in this season, he’s averaging 11.2 points in 25.4 minutes per game while shooting 54.6% from the field. “Terance has a good overall feel for the game,” Fernandez said, per Andrew Crane of the New York Post. “He does a little bit of everything, and I like when he’s aggressive and he gets assists when he gets to the rim and he sprays the ball.”
Ziaire Williams has a “small, very minor” back fracture after a hard fall on Sunday in San Antonio. He’s hopeful he can return this Sunday when the Nets host the Sixers, according to Crane. “It locked up on me,” Williams said. “… But it’s something that can’t get worse. So at this point, it’s just a pain tolerance thing, so as soon as the pain just goes down, it’s never gonna be perfect, at least right now.”
Brooklyn ranks last in the league in defensive efficiency ranks and needs defensive anchor Nic Claxton to step up his game, C.J. Holmes of the New York Daily News writes. “It’s very simple. I mean, Nic is a very good defender. He’s not happy,” Fernandez said. “He has high standards and he’s hard on himself… We’re all together here. I believe in him. We had a great stretch last year when we were high level offensively, and right now we’re not. So, continuity, work together, believe in each other; all those things are important. And you know, we know he’s a great rim protector. We know he can get deflections. We know he can run the floor. We know he can rebound. So those things I believe he can do. And he believes.”

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Powell, Wolf, Oubre, Watford, Robinson

October 28th, 2025 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The members of the Nets‘ organization who are prioritizing a “good pick” in the 2026 draft likely aren’t overly upset about the team’s 0-4 start, but head coach Jordi Fernandez wasn’t pleased with the compete level he saw from his club in a blowout loss to Houston on Monday, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“I need consistency and urgency. And that’s got to be like something that we cannot decide if we’re doing it or not,” Fernandez said. “It’s a matter of who we want to be, right? Giving up 42 (first-quarter points) to start, it’s not great. It’s just unacceptable to take an NBA game for granted. And our guys are trying. They just don’t know how much harder and focused they can do things. And I believe they’ll keep taking those steps. A lot of it is just lack of experience.”

Only two of the Nets’ five 2025 first-round picks were active in Houston, with Egor Demin (plantar fascia) ruled out and Drake Powell and Danny Wolf assigned to the G League. Still, seven of the 12 players who saw the floor for Brooklyn are under 25 years old, and three others are just 26.

As Lewis writes, the challenge for the Nets as an organization this season will be to lose enough games to get that high draft pick coveted by management and ownership while not establishing the sort of hard-to-break habits that will negatively impact the team’s culture going forward.

“A lot of these teams that try to bottom out by tanking like Brooklyn is doing, they think there’s no consequences,” one player agent told Lewis. “You risk eroding the environment you’re trying to create.”

We have more from around the Atlantic:

Powell played just two minutes in the Nets‘ opener, while Wolf has yet to make his regular season debut. Both players have been dealing with ankle injuries, but Fernandez suggested on Monday that they’ll likely get a look in the NBA after they spend some time with Long Island in the G League and get healthy. “We have a plan for everybody. Sometimes, those plans have to be made on the go because we didn’t know they’d sprain their ankles,” Fernandez said, per Lewis. “They did. Now, they’re ready to practice. Now, they can get real practices. That’s very good that they can do that, so when we need them, they’re ready to go. I’m very happy with the resources we have, how we use them, and it’s good that they have this practice and then they can help us soon.”
While the backcourt duo of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe has deservedly gotten much of the credit for the Sixers‘ hot start head coach Nick Nurse was effusive in his praise for the team’s third-leading scorer, Kelly Oubre Jr., after the forward racked up 25 points and 10 rebounds in Monday’s win over Orlando. As Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports tweets, Nurse raved about Oubre’s defensive versatility and effort on the boards. “Kelly was awesome,” Nurse said. “That was one of Kelly’s best games, if not his best game, as a Sixer. He was awesome from the beginning.” The 29-year-old is on an expiring $8.38MM contract and was considered a possible trade candidate during the offseason.
Forward Trendon Watford will make his Sixers debut on Tuesday in Washington, reports Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link). Watford, who signed with Philadelphia as a free agent over the summer, has been sidelined since training camp due to a right hamstring injury.
The Knicks have ruled out center Mitchell Robinson for a fourth straight game to open the season due to left ankle injury maintenance, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Robinson has yet to play this season despite no indication from the team that he suffered a new injury or a setback this month.

Atlantic Notes: Z. Williams, Thomas, Demin, Edgecombe, Gonzalez

October 27th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Injuries continue to pile up for the Nets, who dropped their third straight game Sunday in San Antonio and saw Ziaire Williams leave with a lower back contusion, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Williams landed hard on the court after a collision, and his status for tonight’s game in Houston is uncertain.

“Yeah, it definitely hurt. I would never leave the game if I could play,” Williams said. “It just got real tight. I couldn’t really move out there. So I’ve just got to go over it with the medical staff. They’re already going over a game plan for me. I’ve already iced and started my recovery now. So hopefully, with this early game and some recovery and I get back to hotel, hopefully, I’ll bounce back.”

Brooklyn was already without Haywood Highsmith, who is recovering from right knee surgery, along with rookies Drake Powell and Danny Wolf, who are day-to-day with sprained ankles. Cam Thomas is dealing with a nasal fracture, but he’s opting to play without a mask.

“Just gotta keep playing, keep pushing. If I’m good enough to play, I’ll be out there playing, so no worries. Just basketball,” Thomas said. “Yeah, I considered it, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t that bad. … If I wanted to wear a mask, I could. But at the end of the day, I’ll just take my chances.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets guard Egor Demin is showing promise early in his NBA career, but he understands that he has to drive into the lane more often to be fully effective, Lewis adds in a separate story. Demin is answering doubters about his outside shot, but he needs to break down defenses to create opportunities for teammates. “We have a lot of shooters, and for me getting to the paint is an opportunity to make their lives easier and create something good for them,” he said. “So that’s something I’m really having in focus. And I’m really planning to work on it even more and trying to adjust myself so I can be able to do that more.”
Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe has already won over Joel Embiid, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). After scoring 34 points on opening night, Edgecombe has found multiple ways to help the team, posting 15 points, six rebounds, eight assists and three steals in Saturday’s win over Charlotte. “You’ve got to keep being aggressive, but also letting the game come to you,” Embiid said. “And that’s what he did tonight. Every night, I said it after the first game, every night — it might be Tyrese (Maxey). It might be me. It might be him. It might be someone else, but you’ve still got to play the right way. Some nights, you’re not going to score. How else are you going to contribute? He’s doing it defensively and sharing the ball.”
Guarding Cade Cunningham was part of the assignment on Sunday as Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez made his first NBA start, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. Gonzalez got plenty of recognition from teammates after holding the Pistons star to three points on 1-of-5 shooting as his primary defender. “I like Hugo’s mentality. I like how he comes out; he’s ready to go,” Jaylen Brown said. “He knows his role. And he can play. So, we’re gonna need more of that. He’s gonna continue to learn as he gets better, as he grows, but that’s what we need.”

New York Notes: Robinson, Thibodeau, Demin, Thomas

October 22nd, 2025 at 8:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Knicks are facing the ghosts of injuries past as recently anointed starting center Mitchell Robinson opens the season inactive due to load management, writes Kristian Winfield for the New York Daily News.

Winfield notes that there’s no official timetable for Robinson’s season debut, a dissatisfying data point in a confusing saga that began when Robinson sat out the second half of the team’s October 9 preseason game after playing the first half. According to head coach Mike Brown, that uncertainty may not be resolved in the near future.

“There may be a stretch of five games where we may sit him. There may be a stretch of two games where we may sit him,” Brown said. “There’s no definition of what load management is. You just go along … myself and the medical team and the front office will go along as we see fit, and we’ll decide if we want to sit him during practice or we want to sit him in a game. It’s as simple as that.”

Stefan Bondy of the New York Post also expresses some confusion regarding Robinson’s status, writing that he doesn’t understand why the big man is sitting out on opening night if he didn’t suffer some sort of injury or setback during the preseason. Bondy also relays Brown’s explanation for Robinson missing the team’s season opener.

“Just because he might be able to play tonight, he might be able to practice today, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m gonna play him or I’m gonna practice him,” Brown said.

We have more from around the world of New York basketball:

The Knicks‘ decision to part ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau this summer after one of their most successful seasons in recent memory came down to a philosophical misalignment with certain members of the front office, writes Ian O’Connor for The Athletic, who says those front office executives were focused far more on Thibodeau’s flaws than his strengths. “In their world, the players were 51-0 and Tom was 0-31… He also had a sense of betrayal,” a source close to him said. “When you find out that people you helped either weren’t with you in the end or didn’t fight for you like you fought for them, that stings.”
Egor Demin was intent on preparing his body for the Nets‘ season as he recovered from plantar fasciitis, writes Peter Botte for the New York Post. Demin has added over 10 pounds of muscle since being drafted and he said the difference is noticeable. “[I wanted] to be able to compete against athletes as we have [in the NBA], so I can be a little bit heavier to be stronger on defense, on offense, to get into the paint, and things like this,” Demin said. “As long as I’m above that [number], it’s good, but not too much [because] I want to still be able to run. But I think I’m in a good balance right now with my weight, muscles and condition.” Demin came off the bench on Wednesday in the Nets’ season opener against the Hornets.
Cam Thomas will return to free agency in 2026 after accepting his qualifying offer following a lengthy standoff with the Nets this summer. However, he’s not struggling to keep his eye on the ball, literally, as he enters another contract year, writes The New York Post’s Brian Lewis. “I’m not really worried about that. It’ll take care of itself,” Thomas said of his place in Brooklyn and his contract situation going forward. “The main goal is just being on the court and playing, being out there. I love to hoop, I love to play, so that’s really the main thing I’m trying to do this year. Whatever happens, happens. I’ll let that take care of itself.” After a season shortened by injuries, Thomas came into this year slimmed down and ready to take on an even bigger role.

Nets Notes: Coley, Higgins, Wolf, Rookie Point Guards

October 20th, 2025 at 2:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets have hired Josh Coley and Cory Higgins as scouts, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (Twitter link).

Coley was recently the athletic director and head coach of Christ School in Asheville, North Carolina. Higgins played for the Charlotte Bobcats for two seasons and also had stints with EuroLeague powerhouses CSKA Moscow and Barcelona.

We have more on the Nets:

Danny Wolf‘s cerebral approach to the game can both be an asset and a weakness. The New York Daily News’ C.J. Holmes interviewed Michigan head coach Dusty May and Wolf’s mother, among others, regarding Wolf’s mental approach. Wolf, one of a handful of Brooklyn first-round picks, transferred from Yale to play for the Wolverines last season. “Because of his intelligence, he was able to fix things that needed to be fixed, and just his growth throughout the year, when you look at where he was in November to where he was in March, it was a tribute to his work,” May said.
In a separate story, Holmes notes that the head coach Jordi Fernandez and his staff are taking on a bold experiment, trying to develop five rookies at once. That will be the litmus test for the coaches.
Among that group, which first-year player will be the primary point guard and who will run the second unit? Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf are the candidates, but Fernandez has yet to tip his hand, Zach Braziller of the New York Post notes. The latter two split the starting duties in the team’s four preseason games while Demin worked his way back from a plantar fascia tear. “I’m very happy with all three,” Fernández said. “All three have played in preseason, all three have done good things, and all three have things to work on. If they can take advantage of their minutes, they’re going to survive with their roles, whether they are starting or at backup. If somebody cannot sustain production or what we’re asking [from them], then [it will create an] opportunity for another one, and that’s why I want that healthy competition to work on our team, where they’re all pushing each other and they all have minutes and experience and they can grow.”

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Edgecombe, Ingram, Demin

October 19th, 2025 at 10:11am CST by Rory Maher

Star center Joel Embiid suited up for the Sixers for the first time in nearly eight months in Friday’s preseason finale against Minnesota, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. While the Timberwolves were resting most of their rotation regulars, Philadelphia — and Embiid — came away encouraged by how he looked during the 126-110 win.

“I don’t want to really think about the past,” Embiid said. “I’m just in a good space mentally, physically. … I’m just happy to touch the basketball and be able to play basketball and do what I love.

“When you don’t get [to do] that, it’s tough, but that’s what I’m most happy about. So today, tonight, that’s all I kept thinking about. I’m on the court playing basketball, doing some good things, helping us win, and yeah, that’s really what I was focused on.”

As Bontemps notes, Embiid has been plagued by left knee issues the past couple years, limiting him to 58 games over that span, including just 19 last season. In approximately 19 minutes on Friday, the 2023 MVP put up 14 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals.

“I mean, I won’t say I feel like I was 18 years old again,” Embiid said with a smile when asked if he felt like the past few weeks have gone as well as could be expected in his ramp-up to the season. “That’s never going to happen. But I’m just taking it day by day. Like I said, just learning. Some days are going to be good, some days I’m going to be a little bit tight, so learn from it and adjust and keep doing the right things.”

Here are a few more notes from the Atlantic Division:

Embiid wasn’t the only member of the Sixers who played well in Friday’s tune-up, with Tyrese Maxey (27 points, seven assists, four rebounds, two steals in 30 minutes), VJ Edgecombe (26 points, six rebounds, three assists, five steals in 34 minutes) and Quentin Grimes (22 points, five assists, three steals in 26 minutes in his preseason debut) all turning in strong showings. Head coach Nick Nurse complimented No. 3 overall pick Edgecombe in particular, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. “It’s almost every single day you see something from his athleticism that you say ‘wow.’ … He’s way ahead of where we thought he might be being able to do that [running the offense]. …He’s got a good feel for the game.”
In an exclusive interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, forward Brandon Ingram talks about joining the Raptors and leaving the Pelicans. While the former All-Star has “a lot of love for New Orleans,” he’s ready for a fresh start in Toronto. “This team can be whatever we want it to be,” Ingram said of the Raptors. “We have everything on the defensive end. We play hard. The next thing is execution over and over again on the offensive end. … The East is wide open this [upcoming season]. We have a chance to be better, but we’ve got to expedite it.”
Nets guard/forward Egor Demin, this year’s No. 8 overall pick, missed most of training camp and preseason with a plantar fascia tear in his foot, an injury he tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post he actually sustained prior to June’s draft — not during Summer League — that gradually got worse over time. While the Russian teenager admitted the injury will likely have to be monitored throughout his rookie season, he doesn’t think he’ll need surgery to address it down the line.
Demin made his Nets preseason debut on Thursday, scoring 14 points and grabbing five rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench in a five-point loss to Toronto. “He was excellent,” head coach Jordi Fernández said of Demin, per Lewis. “There’s going to be things he’s going to keep working on. We’ve got to keep building him up physically to be able to sustain more minutes. … But I’m very happy with his presence, how composed he was, how he talked to his teammates, all those things. And made it look easy. He shot the ball every time he was open or halfway open, got to the free-throw line and rebounded. He got five rebounds, made nice plays at the rim. It was good.”

Injury Notes: Sochan, George, Demin, Suggs, K. Jones, Ingles

October 16th, 2025 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs will be without forward Jeremy Sochan when they open their regular season in Dallas next Wednesday night, according to the team (Twitter link via Jared Weiss of The Athletic).

Ramping up this fall from a calf injury he sustained during the summer, Sochan had progressed to 5-on-5 scrimmages this week and was trending toward potentially being available for opening night. However, the Spurs say that he sprained his left wrist in practice on Thursday. He’ll enter the regular season considered day-to-day, per the club.

Sochan is one of 15 players who remain eligible to sign rookie scale extensions. If he and the Spurs don’t agree to terms on or before Monday, he’ll be on track to play out his contract year and become eligible for restricted free agency next summer.

We have more injury updates from around the NBA:

After progressing to 3-on-3 work on Wednesday, Sixers forward Paul George took another step forward on Thursday, fully participating in practice, including 5-on-5 action, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. However, head coach Nick Nurse quickly replied “no” when asked if there’s optimism about George suiting up for Friday’s preseason finale or next Wednesday’s regular season opener (Twitter video link). “Yesterday was his first day live,” Nurse said. “… Today was a short amount of 5-on-5, so we have to just keep waiting.”
No. 8 overall pick Egor Demin will make his preseason debut for the Nets on Friday vs. Toronto, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Demin has been dealing with a plantar fascia tear during training camp and the preseason, but it appears he’ll be ready for the start of the season unless he experiences a setback before then.
Magic guard Jalen Suggs responded well to the limited contact work he did this week, but there are still hurdles to clear before he’s cleared for game action, head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Thursday. “We’ll have a couple more scrimmages where we’ll be able to go live, some 3-on-3, some 5-on-5, and we’ll see how he responds after each one of those days,” Mosley said, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “Then we’ll be able to tell you accordingly, you’ll know whether he is or isn’t [ready] on opening night.”
After announcing last week that rookie guard Kam Jones could miss multiple weeks due to a back issue, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle provided an update on Thursday, telling Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link) to check back in on Jones around November 9. That’s the same date that T.J. McConnell (hamstring) is scheduled to be reevaluated.
Timberwolves forward Joe Ingles, diagnosed last week with a left groin strain, has been cleared for basketball activities and will be available for Thursday’s game against Chicago, the team announced today in a press release.

And-Ones: Core Trios, MVP, Hayward, NBA App

October 15th, 2025 at 11:04am CST by Rory Maher

Tim Bontemps of ESPN ranks the core trios of every NBA team based on their current and future value. Unsurprisingly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren of the defending champion Thunder sit atop Bontemps’ tiered list, followed by the Nuggets trio of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.

Bontemps’ final tier (“rebuilding”) is comprised of the Nets (Nic Claxton, Egor Demin, Nolan Traore), Trail Blazers (Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe), Jazz (Ace Bailey, Walter Clayton, Lauri Markkanen), and Wizards (Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr).

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Using six categories (narrative score, expected ridiculous stats score, team quality score, clutch score, player impact score, and perceived value score), Zach Harper of The Athletic takes a stab at predicting who will win the NBA’s MVP award in 2025/26. Jokic, who was the runner-up last season, earns the most points (55/60), followed by reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander (50/60) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (50/60), who finished third in voting last season. However, Harper’s “gut” says Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (45/60) will claim his first MVP.
Former NBA All-Star Gordon Hayward, who retired last summer after a 14-year career in the league, is returning to his alma mater in a new role. According to a Butler press release written by John Dedman, Hayward will be an executive basketball advisor for the Bulldogs’ men’s basketball program. In addition to advising in multiple areas, Hayward will also serve as a mentor to student-athletes, with a focus on leadership and professional development.
The NBA announced in a press release that it has launched a new multi-platform streaming offering as well as the “reimagined” NBA TV, both of which can be accessed via the NBA App. There’s also a new flagship program on NBA TV and the NBA App called “The Association,” which features MJ Acosta-Ruiz, David Fizdale, Rudy Gay, Chris Haynes and John Wall, among others.

Atlantic Notes: Saraf, Powell, Martin, Edgecombe

October 5th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Nets had their preseason opener on Saturday, routing Hapoel Jerusalem by a score of 123-88. Despite the less-than-dramatic result, there were interesting takeaways for Nets fans, especially in regards to who got the nod at starting point guard, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

With 2025 top-10 pick Egor Demin recovering from a plantar fascia tear, rookie Ben Saraf, the 26th pick this summer, took the reins and delivered a very encouraging performance, finishing with nine points and six assists versus one turnover.

“He plays like a vet. He was good with the ball taking care of the ball, which at times in camp it was something he hasn’t been as good at,” said head coach Jordi Fernandez. “With five fouls, that’s the thing that he’s going to clean up a little bit more. But I was very, very happy even though he had those fouls early in the game, his mind was in the game and he kept playing and he was not really affected by it. So it tells you who he is, how mature he is at his age. He’s just going to keep getting better.”

While it’s unclear whether Saraf will continue to hold onto the role once Demin returns, it’s notable that he was given the keys over Nolan Traore – who was selected ahead of him at No. 19 in the 2025 draft – and recently acquired third-year guard Kobe Bufkin.

We have more notes from around the Atlantic Division:

In the same article, Lewis notes that Drake Powell, the 22nd pick in the 2025 draft, will soon be able to see his first action for the Nets. According to Fernandez, Powell is expected to take the floor next week during one of the two games Brooklyn will play against the Suns in China. Powell has been doing full-contact practices on his way back from the knee tendinopathy that forced him to miss not only the start of training camp, but also his first Summer League.
One player who has drawn rave reviews in Nets training camp is Tyrese Martin, writes C.J. Holmes for the New York Daily News. “Tyrese has really been probably the most impressive player that I’ve seen on the team so far,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “He’s been consistently killing through scrimmages, through open runs. He’s a player that can slide in that point guard place but can also play the two. He can pass the ball. He’s been really impressive.” Ziaire Williams and Fernandez both praised Martin’s performance as well. While Martin, who is on a non-guaranteed contract, has no assurances for the coming season, he’s enjoying his time with the team. “I love these guys, I feel like they love me the same way,” he said. “It’s fun being here. This is the first coach and team that actually gave me an opportunity, and I feel like I’ve held up my end, and didn’t make them look crazy for giving me an opportunity. So, it would be fun to stay here and make this my home, for sure.”
VJ Edgecombe was drafted to a Sixers team with talented guards such as Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and, for now, Quentin Grimes, due to his athleticism, shooting flashes, and defensive potential. In Philadelphia’s opening two games of preseason, that defensive ability has shone through, writes DJ Siddiqi of RG. Head coach Nick Nurse offered praise for the rookie’s defensive efforts, saying he caused havoc, especially in the passing lanes. “I pride myself on defense,” said Edgecombe. “I’m definitely looking forward to all matchups, just because I know every night I’m going to have to guard a lot of great players, future Hall of Famers. I’m excited for every matchup to be honest.”

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