Mavericks' blueprint to make Sergio De Larrea a star should mirror Egor Demin's rise

The Dallas Mavericks may have found a potential future star in rookie Sergio De Larrea, and Mavs fans should be hoping that he has a similar rise as a second-year guard for the Brooklyn Nets, Egor Demin. He was one of the best players in Summer League this year, and his vast improvement was one of the biggest stories coming out of Las Vegas.

He proved that he can be a primary scorer when needed, as he averaged over 20 points per game at Summer League. Demin showed that he has real star potential for the Nets, and any concerns that they had about him after his rookie season were promptly wiped away during his second year at Summer League.

Why Sergio De Larrea's development could mirror Egor Demin's

De Larrea’s stunning Summer League breakout has been spearheaded by his passing, feel, and IQ at his size (6-foot-6), but there have certainly been some holes in his game as well. He needs to add some strength and quickness to blow by defenders, and when looking at how much Demin has grown since Summer League last year, his growth could be a good blueprint for De Larrea in Dallas. These are some of the same concerns that people had about Demin's game before he was drafted.

Before the 2025 NBA Draft, one of the biggest questions about Demin’s game was what position he would play in the NBA. He was a great passer and connector, and had great feel as a BYU Cougar at 6-foot-8, but many were skeptical about whether he could play point guard with limited athleticism. His 3-point jumper was doubted as well, as he shot 27.3 percent from three as a freshman at BYU, but he put his head down and worked relentlessly.

Demin heavily focused on his 3-point jumper ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, and it paid off right away. Shooting went from a variable to one of his strongest skills during his rookie season, and it helped him become a staple in the Nets' rotation. With De Larrea already being a strong shooter and smart passer, we could see him having a similar developmental arc as a rookie.

Demin started in 45 of the 52 games that he played in last season, and he showed more promise than any of the other rookies that Brooklyn drafted in the first round last year (Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, and Danny Wolf).

Why playing off the ball will prepare De Larrea to play point guard

He was one of the best players in the 2025 draft class, and while he flashed guard skills, he played off the ball often as well. His first year in the NBA was filled with good shooting and passing as a connector (shot 38.5 percent from three and averaged 3.3 assists per game), and with Kyrie Irving already manning the Mavericks' point guard spot, we could see De Larrea take on a similar role as a rookie.

Dallas doesn't need De Larrea to be an elite scorer right away. They have Cooper Flagg and Irving to shoulder that role. Instead, they should put him in a role that maximizes his advanced skill set, and this starts with putting him off the ball to give him time to work on his weaknesses in a low-pressure environment.

This worked wonders for Demin in Brooklyn, as his size and vision helped him develop into an elite secondary playmaker. He also excelled at knocking down shots off the catch. Now, he looks ready to take some more reps at point guard.

This isn’t to say that De Larrea will never play point guard, as he did an excellent job as the team’s lead guard during Summer League and the Mavs just traded away Ryan Nembhard, but he shouldn't be expected to be a top-tier floor general right away. It's going to take him time to adjust to the NBA, and a great way to ease him into things would be by allowing him to occasionally play alongside another point guard. This would help him get open looks from beyond the arc and display his versatile skill set.

If De Larrea can have a similar rise to Demin, the Mavericks may have found their star point guard of the future.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow