Nets guard Egor Dëmin underwent a successful non-surgical procedure help with the plantar fasciitis in his left foot, though neither he nor head coach Jordi Fernandez specified what type of procedure it was, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
“Everything went well, and now it’s just the process of rehab and getting back on the court as soon as the season ends, as we planned,” the Russian rookie said in his first comments since being shut down for the season. “Hopefully everything’s going to go in the right direction and I’ll be able to get back to work as soon as I can.”
Dëmin said the foot injury, which he originally sustained last offseason, had been bothering him more and more as 2025/26 went on, Lewis writes. The 2025 lottery pick is looking forward to being fully healthy ahead of summer league.
“Yeah, I’m taking this … I don’t want to say time off, but this time being off the court with a positive approach where I’ve really tried to take advantage of it, where I can have more time in the lifting room without worrying about being sore and not being able to play the same as I could,” Dëmin said. “So I’m just trying to kill as much as I can right now [since] it’s not going to affect my game because I’m not playing.
“So there’s a lot of advantage from not playing, even though I really like basketball and I’d prefer to be [playing]. But everything is happening for a reason and I believe in it, and I’m trying to be intentional with whatever I have in front of me.”
Here’s more on the Nets:
- The Nets had a historically awful first half on Wednesday against the defending champion Thunder, per Lewis. They only managed 24 points, the lowest-scoring half in franchise history, and trailed by 36 at the break. “Obviously you feel embarrassed when you score 24 points in a half of basketball,” said Fernandez. “And I do believe, no doubt in my mind, our guys are better than this. But it’s not about what I believe; it’s about going out there and doing it.” Brooklyn had 68 points in the second half but still lost by 31.
- Third-year forward Noah Clowney was forced out of Wednesday’s game in the fourth quarter due to a right wrist issue, but he told Lewis the injury isn’t serious and he should be OK. “Yeah, we have to take a look and see what’s there, and obviously prioritize his body and his health,” Fernandez said. “That’s the most important thing, especially now with 13 games to go. And hopefully he’s fine.”
- In case you missed, leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. may have played his last game of 2025/26 after being diagnosed with a left hamstring strain. He’ll be reevaluated in two-to-three weeks.