Nets player Egor Demin has gained more weight to keep up with NBA expectations

Igor Demin insists he wasn’t just “sitting on the couch” this summer, but used his free time while recovering from a plantar fasciitis injury wisely and purposefully in preparation for his first season in the NBA.

The athletic 6-foot-8 point guard was listed at just 199 pounds when the Nets made him the eighth pick in this year’s draft out of BYU, incredibly making him the franchise’s first lottery pick since selecting Derrick Favors third overall in 2010.

But Dëmin used his downtime to add more than 10 pounds to his lanky frame, and he noticed the difference when he finally made his preseason debut with 14 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes on Friday night in Toronto.

“I think for me, the main goal was to be at least 205 before the season started,” DeMaine said in preparation for Wednesday’s regular-season opener at Charlotte. “(I wanted) to be able to compete against athletes like we did (in the NBA), so I could be a little heavier to be stronger on defense and offense and getting into the paint and things like that.

“As long as I’m above that (number), that’s good, but not too much (because) I want to still be able to run. But I think I’m in a good balance now with my weight, my muscles and my condition.”

The 19-year-old Damen was the first of a record five first-round picks selected by the rebuilding Nets, competing with fellow rookies Nolan Traore (19th overall) and Ben Saraf (26th) for point guard minutes from second-year Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernandez, who The opening night start has not been announced.

Traoré and Saraf split starts in the team’s four pre-season matches as Moscow-born Demin tried to learn as he returned from a summer injury.

“As a player, it is rare to see the game from a different angle,” Demin said. “Normally, you just see from the standpoint of being on the field or just waiting your turn. For me, it was just something like, ‘Okay, how can I impact (my game), and since I’m not practicing, how can I get better?’

Dëmin continues to work on improving his outside shot after hitting just 27.3 percent from 3-point range during his lone season at BYU.

He shot 43.5 percent from long range during Summer League play in Las Vegas and scored 2 of 3 attempts from beyond the arc Friday night against the Raptors.

“Definitely, it was the same when I was getting into summer league. People were saying I couldn’t shoot or things like that, and if you looked at the season in college, you’d probably say I couldn’t shoot. I probably hit 28 percent from 3, which is crazy,” DeMaine said. “But it’s not like I’m sitting on the couch at home, right? This is definitely something I’m working on.

“It’s not just the obvious thing, it’s almost everything. The things people talk about, you’ve got to get better at dribbling, you’ve got to get better at shooting, things like that, obviously that’s something I’m aware of, and I really spend more time on that than anything else, the things I’m weak at. But I’m not just trying to do what I’m good at and be happy with whatever I have. I’m trying to be a versatile player and be capable.” to implement anything. Being asked, being able to be a player who can shoot, dribble and do whatever is asked of me.”

DeMaine claims he’s “really excited” to start his rookie season on Wednesday night, but his preseason debut last week was also a big moment.

“I’ve been waiting for the moment when I step on the court again for about two months, and now when I’m back, I feel like I’m in good shape, I’m in good physical shape because I’ve been lifting these two months without basketball,” DeMaine said. “I’ve gained some weight, so I feel a little stronger and a little more powerful. Now that I get to know people more, I can really speak up and try to be a leader on the court and be a point guard.”