Egor Demin is torching the NBA, silenced all doubts about his shooting ability

Do you remember what everyone said about BYU one-and-done prospect Egor Demin during the pre-draft evaluation stage? Fascinating on paper, underwhelming on the basketball floor. Hot and cold, inconsistent yet intriguing, enigmatic and enlightening. For a player his size, 6-foot-9, with great floor vision, Egor's supporters pushed his potential while his detractors declared he was nothing more than an empty vision of potential.

While he proved one of the most gifted passers in his class, his thin frame, fumbling ball control, and lack of a reliable three-point jumper sent Demin flying down draft boards, with many insistent that he would never make it as a starting-level player in the NBA, no matter his role.

I, an unapologetic fan of BYU basketball and witness to his entire freshman season, had seen the light and was willing to push my agenda against the raging sea of Demin doubters.

As I wrote for SLC Dunk during his pre-draft process:

"The most significant detriment to Egor’s freshman season was his inconsistency in finishing the play himself — putting the ball in the basket. Though he averaged double-digit scoring as a freshman, his percentages were unimpressive.

"Knocking through under 30% on his three-point attempts is not a promising metric for a point guard in the modern NBA. As previously mentioned, spacing is everything in today’s offensive schemes. When the ball handler doesn’t own the defender’s respect from beyond the arc, the defense can relax and clog up the passing lane, knowing they have nothing to fear in terms of shooting.

"The positive? The stroke looks good, and his shooting numbers improved gradually as he adapted to the super-charged pace of competitive hoops. My point is that his shooting woes seem very correctable, and Demin’s patience paired with willingness to learn suggest his development will turn for the positive sooner rather than later."

Not to take a victory lap or anything, but get ready to smell burning rubber as I speed into the sunset with my "3GOR4EVR" vanity license plate. Egor Demin is one of the most impressive rookies in his entire class and has revitalized his professional value by becoming the most prolific shooting rookie in the history of the Brooklyn Nets.

You heard that right -- it's Demin's jump shot, not his passing ability, that has stamped his value as a youngster in the NBA.

When the Brooklyn Nets shook up the flow of the NBA Draft by snatching Demin eighth overall back in the Summer, many viewed that selection to be a stretch at best, and a franchise-destroying error at worst.

Egor had been a major question mark for NBA scouts and talent evaluators. If he can add muscle to his frame, of course, he could become something akin to a Luka-lite type of player capable of finding open teammates and occasionally stepping up to do it himself. If he couldn't improve as a shooter, ball handler, or defender, however, it may be a very short stint in the NBA for the Russian.

He's started in 23 of his 30 appearances with the Nets this season, and he's scoring nearly 10 points per contest on just under nine field goal attempts per game. Stacking most of his points from beyond the three point line, Egor is attempting six pulls from distance per night. You would be, too, if you were connecting on 37.4% of your threes.

For good measure, Egor Demin scored seven threes in one night against the Golden State Warriors, a single-game record for a Nets rookie.

Who could have predicted Egor Demin being a more potent three-point shooter in the NBA than fellow BYU Cougar legend Jimmer Fredette?

Egor is averaging 9.9 points, 3.4 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per night in his first 30 games, and is only improving as he strengthens his frame, finds his notch in the Brooklyn scheme, and logs more and more minutes as a pro. Averaging 24.4 minutes per night, Egor has stood out from the other four rookies saturating Jordi Fernandez's depth chart. He'll enjoy a very long NBA career if he can maintain this level of performance. If he continues to develop, however, this could be the genesis of a potential All-Star-level performer.

Few could have foreseen this level of production so early in the career of Egor Demin. The question is no longer if he will fit in, but rather what he'll be capable of as the years advance. As for me, my face will be glued to the television for every Brooklyn Nets game.