Egor Dëmin can flat-out shoot the rock. That much is undeniable at this point. Fifty games into his rookie season, the Nets guard is sitting No. 9 on NBA.com’s Kia Rookie Ladder, averaging 10.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He’s also been one of the best rookie shooters in the league, d rilling 38.5% of his 3s while launching 6.3 a night. The jumper gives Brooklyn spacing, and it gives Dëmin a base to build on. But the next step is the one that changes how defenses treat him. It’s not another layer of shot-making. It’s learning how to consistently get into the paint and get to where he wants to go on the floor, on his terms, against NBA bodies and NBA game plans. Entering Thursday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs at Barclays Center, Dëmin is attempting just 3.1 drives per game. For context, elite point guards such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cade Cunningham are averaging 18.5 and 16.3, respectively. That’s the difference between being a shooter defenses can chase and a creator who forces help, shifts coverage and opens the court for everyone else. And it’s easy to see why this is the swing skill, especially because shooting was supposed to be Dëmin’s biggest concern entering the league. Everything gets harder if he can’t touch the paint consistently. His reads get tighter. His passing windows shrink. His jumpers are more contested because defenses don’t have to respect the drive in the same way. Even great shooting can start to feel like you’re working uphill if you can’t create a second threat. Nets head coach Jordi Fernández has seen the work, and he’s been clear that the summer is where this jump will really be made. “We’re seeing positive steps,” Fernández said. “He’s working at it, and his summer of work will be the most important thing. He’s willing to get outside his comfort zone, and right now trying it in game reps is tough, but he’s putting in the extra work.” That “outside his comfort zone” piece is key. Driving at the NBA level isn’t just deciding to be aggressive. It’s having the handle and the strength to keep the dribble alive through contact, having the patience to change speeds, and having the confidence to make mistakes without retreating back to what already feels safe. It’s a skill that only becomes comfortable by being uncomfortable on purpose. That’s why Jason Kidd’s voice carries incredible weight. Kidd is a New Jersey Nets legend and one of the best point guards ever. His perspective matters for a young player still learning the job. When the Dallas Mavericks visited Brooklyn on Tuesday, Kidd said that the separator for great players is one who knows how to get to where they want on the floor. They don’t negotiate with the defense. They manipulate it. “Getting where you want is what you want,” Kidd said. “The great players all get where they want — step-back three, side-step three, to the rim, Euro step. Shooting you can work on, sometimes it just takes time. If you can stay the course and have patience, it will come. If you can’t get where you want to go, there’s no way you can get the shot off. I’d take that package, and that young man has it.” Kidd also framed the rookie point guard experience the way it actually feels for players living it, fast, messy and unforgiving. There’s a lot to manage, and most of it you can’t truly learn until you’re in it, failing on the floor with real consequences. “It’s hard for anyone as a rookie,” Kidd said. “It’s like a rookie quarterback with no offensive line trying to figure it all out on the fly. There’s a lot you’re responsible for, so you have to go through it, fail and be uncomfortable. The sooner you get uncomfortable, the sooner you grow.” ...read more read less