NBA Draft

BYU's Egor Demin Continues to Build Hype as Unique Playmaker

Egor Demin has showcased his elite offensive ability as a 6-foot-9 playmaker on his way to being a clear-cut top-five pick at the moment.

Jace Derryberry

Basketball for use as a generic image.
Basketball for use as a generic image. / Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In this story:

BYU has gotten off to a hot start to the season at 4-0, thanks to top-tier freshman Egor Demin. He has great positional size at 6-foot-9 and a very unique combination of playmaking and three-level scoring. In a loaded draft class like this, the rankings are fluid and will surely continue to change as the season progresses, but Demin is the type of player who seems to be a safe bet to stay near the top. Let’s dive into his play through his first four games of the season and break down the pieces of his game that appear to be the most translatable to the NBA level.

As the NBA continues to shift toward taller and more versatile guards, Demin has shown the ability to fit this role near perfectly. Through his first four games of the season, he is currently averaging 17 points, 3.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks, with shooting splits of 63.4%/55%/50%. He has been one of the best lead guards in the nation so far and clearly has the potential to continue developing into an extremely valuable player at the next level.

His ability to control an offense is extremely impressive, as he stands out both when pushing in transition and creating scoring opportunities in half-court sets. While pushing the pace on fast breaks, Demin keeps his eyes up and consistently draws defenders to create open catch-and-shoot opportunities for his teammates. If defenders choose to stick with their man, he also has no issues using his long arms and strides to cut through the lane before finishing with soft touch at the rim. While playing in the half-court, he navigates pick-and-rolls very well and plays with great patience to ensure good looks. His playstyle is very aggressive on offense, but he does a great job of rarely forcing shots and passes, as seen in his shooting percentages and impressive assist-to-turnover ratio of 7.5:2.

Many guards around this height can struggle with their handle, but Demin does a great job of using his body to keep defenders at a distance. He rarely puts the ball on the floor in traffic when it isn’t necessary and instead makes quick reads to move the ball. It appears that he may develop into a mismatch as he grows, attacking smaller defenders and being tough for bigger defenders to keep up with on the perimeter.

In terms of his scoring, he has a wide variety of effective tools. His strength at the moment is how well he finishes in the lane with soft touch on both hands, combined with his long reach, which allows him to finish over defenders. He has also shown a smooth pull-up jumper from three-point range. His three-point shooting has come on impressive volume so far, connecting on 55% of his five attempts per game.

While the offensive side of the ball is clearly his strong suit, there are still questions about his defensive upside. He has good instincts as a team defender but can struggle in one-on-one situations at times. The mismatch potential mentioned earlier works both ways, as he can struggle to stay in front of quicker opponents and can get overpowered on the interior by larger big men. If he is able to round out this aspect of his game as we approach the 2025 NBA draft, Demin has the potential to be one of the most valuable prospects and very well may be a lock for the top half of the lottery regardless.

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.

Published
Jace Derryberry
JACE DERRYBERRY

Home/Newsfeed