LAS VEGAS — Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin played his first game as an NBA player in Thursday’s 90-81 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Las Vegas Summer League. Demin, the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft came into the league with a fair amount of hype, but his performance against the Thunder showed his strengths and weaknesses.

“I don’t want to say I actually had this feeling of like first game excitement. I think this feeling got out before we got on the court for me, personally,” Demin said following his outing of putting up eight points and four rebounds in 22 minutes. Demin had a slow start to the game as he shot 0-for-3 from the field and had two turnovers and two fouls in 10 first-half minutes.

“I was really trying to be dialed in and stay focused and from the first second, try to give my best effort,” Demin continued. “I was talking before, for me, it was about effort. I wanted to give the best energy I can, the best effort on defense and offense, and try to be as impactful as I can be for the team.”

Demin’s second half not only showed more of the positives of his game in terms of his long-range shooting and rebounding, but it also displayed his ability to bounce back from a rough start. Demin will most likely be looked to as one of the primary, if not the main, ball-handlers on the Nets for the 2025-26 season and along the way, he will have to learn how his game translates to the next level.

Demin came into the Draft as arguably the best passer in the class, but Thursday was not the best representation of what his passing can do for an offense. Demin posted zero assists to two turnovers, but as he learns how to best make plays with the ball in his hands, he will be fine. “I prefer to say I’m a playmaker. I just really want to learn how to make plays,” Demin explained.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets’ Egor Demin reacts to first NBA action in Las Vegas Summer League