Egor Demin: A Comprehensive Scouting Report on the Enigmatic BYU Guard

Egor Demin, a 6-foot-9 point guard from BYU, has emerged as a polarizing prospect in the upcoming NBA draft. Hailing from Russia and with experience playing for Real Madrid, Demin's unique blend of size and skill has captured the attention of scouts, drawing comparisons to players like Josh Giddey. However, inconsistencies in his game and questions about his positional fit have led to widely varied evaluations, making him one of the most intriguing and debated prospects in his class.

Background and Early Career

Born in Moscow, Egor Demin attended the Moscow Basketball Academy (Trinta School) until 2021, impressing scouts and earning offers. In September of that year, Demin inked a six-year contract with Real Madrid. He primarily played for the junior A team and Real Madrid B. With the latter in 2023-24, he averaged 15.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.1 steals with 42/19/73 shooting splits. Following that campaign, he moved to the United States to play college basketball for BYU as a five-star recruit. His commitment to BYU was considered a significant moment for the program, as he looked to follow in the footsteps of fellow Russian players like Andrei Kirilenko and Timofey Mozgov. Demin had a successful summer for Real Madrid in the U18 ANGT Championship, logging 26 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks.

Strengths

Exceptional Playmaking and Passing Ability

Demin is renowned for his exceptional playmaking and passing skills. He is a great passer, ball-handler and solid shooter. He is a high-level playmaker as a primary or secondary creator, depending on the situation. He sees the floor well, has the size to see and pass over the defense and hits passes from all angles. A good one hand passer. Gets to his spots well. Demin is a 6-foot-9 point forward with some of the best passing skills in the draft. He has the vision, size and creativity to make almost every type of pass with accuracy and seems to prefer setting up his teammates rather than scoring. One coach noted, "I’ve never played with a point guard that can see and pass it in the short windows that he can. … Even now [a month into the 2024-25 season], in some games he’ll rifle a pass and I’m like, there’s no way that’s getting through, and then it gets through, and I’ve got to hurry and get my feet set to shoot it."

Positional Size and Physical Profile

Standing 6'8" with a 6'10¼" wingspan, the point guard/small forward blends size and playmaking. Demin's size plays a key role in his effectiveness as a playmaker and finisher. He's able to see and pass over the top of guards, and when he gets to the rim, his height helps create easier finishing angles. He is a jumbo point guard from Russia who is very skilled with the ball in his hands and has a dominant physical profile for a point guard. He moves well both with and off the ball. His height and peripheral vision help him process the game from above and find open teammates across the court.

Improvisation and Handle

Demin makes quick adjustments and counters in the paint with his footwork and layup package. This level of handle and slipperiness is what makes Egor hard to handle once he has an advantage. The constant poking and prodding gives him the ability to find openings and exploit them. It allows him to score, but Demin is most comfortable when setting up others. Given his size, a particular strength of his is ball handling. Demin is what is called a ‘fluid’ player. He’s comfortable dribbling with either hand and keeps his head up constantly, scanning the entire court, not just the tunnel in front of him.

Defensive Potential

Demin has defensive potential thanks to his superior size at the guard position and seven-foot wingspan, which allow him to intercept passes and block shots. He currently accounts for 2.1 steals and blocks per game (the best on his team). A very heady defender who reads passing lanes well and uses his length to swallow ball handlers. Has solid athleticism and can finish above the rim. Moves very well for a 6-9 player. The sheer length allows him to shrink passing lanes and shot angles.

Weaknesses

Shooting Inconsistencies

While Demin shows promise as a shooter, he struggles with consistency, particularly from beyond the arc. Has really nice form on his jumper but is not yet consistent from downtown. Shows plenty of promise and is likely to be a good or league average shooter in time. Shoots over defenders well, using his size and quick release. Contests and challenges threw off Demin's shooting too easily. But he also missed too many open threes. His game will appear very predictable to NBA defenses. He doesn’t think twice when defenders go under screens and is not bothered by contests, thanks to his size, which allows him to shoot over people. Despite going cold in certain games, Demin has smooth shot mechanics. Demin is a perimeter player in the truest sense. He prefers to rely on IQ rather than physicality, rarely drives to the basket, and focuses on making plays for his teammates.

Decision-Making and Turnovers

Demin turned the ball over too much, and a good chunk of his miscues came off overly casual execution. Drafting Demin means needing to give him the ball. He doesn't offer much playing off it, so by drafting him, this team will have to play a ball-dominant handler who struggles with shooting and decision-making. For a player of his size, it would be assumed that passes over the top would be an automatic advantage. He’s capable of hitting on these passes, but his tendencies are heavily leaned upon. He also is at a strength deficit for the time being, so he isn’t able to naturally create separation “in a phone booth”. The defense is able to negotiate breathing room with him for now.

Limited Off-Ball Value

Demin's effectiveness is heavily reliant on having the ball in his hands, limiting his impact when playing off-ball. He also offers little value off the ball, meaning his effectiveness hinges on being a lead creator who still has some key areas to polish. He doesn’t offer much playing off it, so by drafting him, this team will have to play a ball-dominant handler who struggles with shooting and decision-making.

Defensive Consistency

Like many promising offensive talents, Demin seems to treat defense as secondary. He plays actively in the early minutes but loosens up the pressure and focus as the game progresses. Despite quick hands, Demin is a weak individual defender who should be given easier assignments. He doesn’t provide much ball pressure and gives up too much space for ball-handlers with greater lateral mobility. Demin often struggles to prevent drivers from getting into a lane and stopping the ball in transition, as he doesn’t know how to use his body to slow down/bump ballhandlers.

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Lack of Physicality

However, due to his lack of physicality, Demin can lose the ball even after marginal contact. Demin lacks an explosive first step and struggles to fight through contact. At the same time, Demin has real potential as a shooter, best demonstrated in his ANGT debut against Alba Berlin in January 2023 when he went 7-9 from three in 19 minutes.

Statistical Overview

During his time at BYU, Demin posted the following statistics:

PPG: 10.6
RPG: 3.9
APG: 5.5
BPG: 0.4
SPG: 1.2
FG%: 41.2
3PT%: 27.3
Vertical: 32"
Wingspan: 6'10¼"
BPM: 4.8
Offensive Rating: 103.2
Usage: 25.9
Effective Field Goal Percentage: 48.4
True Shooting Percentage: 51.2
Offensive Rebounding Percentage: 1.4
Defensive Rebounding Percentage: 14.5
Assist Percentage: 34.9
Turnover Percentage: 23.8
Assist/Turnover: 1.9
Block Percentage: 1.8
Steal Percentage: 2.4
Free Throw Rate: 29.5
Dunk Percentage: 92.3 (12/13)
Free Throw Percentage: 67.1 (51/76)
Two Point Percentage: 54.8 (74/135)
Threes Per 100: 9.2

NBA Potential and Draft Projection

Egor Demin projects as a floor general at the NBA level, someone who can organize the offense and set up his teammates. How far he can go beyond that will depend on his shooting development. His size will always be an advantage, however, and other players have made it work despite minimal 3-point skills. Overall, Demin is a swing on feel and versatility in a jumbo-guard frame. If he irons out the decision-making and finds consistency as a shooter, he has a clear path to becoming a high-level offensive engine.

Demin has been mocked anywhere from the lottery to the mid-first round. Some scouts see him as a potential lottery pick due to his unique skillset and physical attributes, while others believe he is more likely to be selected in the mid-to-late first round due to his inconsistencies and weaknesses.

Comparisons

Realistic Pro Comparison: Josh Giddey. Both leverage their unique size-and-skill combos with passing and effective playmaking. Both can handle, attack and set the table, all while providing shooting. And both have dealt with questions about defense throughout their basketball careers. Like Giddey, Demin will require the right fit and won't offer much playing off the ball. But there's a path to success here based on playmaking and improvisation chops that should translate. Some compare him to Alexey Shved, and while Demin is set to accomplish more in the NBA, it’s not entirely an accurate comparison in terms of playing style. Demin is a pass-first playmaker, while Shved (even being at the top of the EuroLeague in assists) has always had a scorer’s mentality.

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