Egor Demin drew his first start for the Brooklyn Nets in their 125-107 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.

Many times, starting a game helps a player find better rhythm early since they get to set the tempo of the game. However, Demin also sees some benefits of coming off the bench as a facilitator.

“Sometimes it’s even easier to get into the rhythm from the bench because you already see what the defense look like and who’s on the court and where the weak spots in defense are and things like this,” Demin said.

He looked good for some stretches, drilling his first five shots while finishing with eight points and seven assists.

Demin may not be as far along as several other rookies in his draft class, but he showed more composure on drives to the rim and his 3-point stroke continues to look fluid.

The BYU product’s leadership traits also persuaded the Nets into making him the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, something Demin is seemingly aware of.

“Just how can we, as a group, and each of us maintain that level of positive energy bringing to the team,” Demin said. “As Jordi (Fernandez) says, there is no neutral. You’re either positive or you’re negative. And if you’re not positive, that means you’re not really doing good for the group. And that’s a lot of me. I got to be the voice on the court. And not just on the court, but on the bench.

“How can I be as loud as I can be any time. And I think this is kind of my goal, not just for this season, but in general for myself as a player, to develop this even more, to be a voice, and to be as vocal as I can be.”

There are going to be several growing pains for the Nets this season, but it’s encouraging to see their top draft selection make it a point to develop into a leader and be so understanding of his flaws on the court.

It may take time for Demin to feel fully comfortable taking more 2-pointers and attacking the rim more aggressively, but accountability and leadership are traits that cannot be taught.

At the very worst, Demin seems like he can be an incredibly great role player for the next Nets team that is ready to compete for a championship.