Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf, Kobe Bufkin and Terance Mann all joined the Brooklyn Nets this summer, but only one can start at point for head coach Jordi Fernandez. Demin has the draft status and playmaking ability, Traore has the speed, Saraf also has great playmaking ability, Bufkin has the potential and Mann has the experience. The choice isn’t as clear as it may seem.
Immediately, Demin appears to be the obvious answer. Brooklyn just invested the eighth-overall pick in June’s draft into the BYU product, and his 6-foot-9 frame should present a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. That said, he’s still raw and could be passed up as a starter in favor of a more experienced guard like Mann.
Speaking of Mann, the 28-year-old is now tied with Haywood Highsmith for the oldest player on the Nets roster. He’s appeared in a Western Conference Finals and should be a perfect fit in Fernandez’s system, yet may benefit from playing the two or three rather than the one.
Traore’s speed is unmatched and could present just as much of a mismatch as Demin may. He and Saraf’s combined abilities are intriguing, but the duo may not yet be ready for the NBA level. In due time, their growth should absolutely lead to heavy minutes, but that may not be the case out of the gate.
And then there’s Bufkin, who already has some familiarity with the Nets’ coaching staff. Brooklyn assistant Juwan Howard helped Bufkin become a first-round pick back in 2023, and will know how to unlock his skills and put him in the proper spots to succeed far better than the Atlanta Hawks did. He certainly shouldn’t be ruled out as a potential starting one.
In the end, the odds are the job will go to Demin. While he is raw, real in-game experience is the only thing that can get him to truly adjust to the professional level. Plus, with the size the Nets have in the frontcourt could contribute to a lineup with four players 6-foot-9 or taller, depending on where Fernandez opts to play Michael Porter Jr.
We’ll have to wait until preseason to see how the coaching staff deploys all of its new toys, but Demin should be viewed as the favorite until Fernandez notes otherwise.