Le Journal

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Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images Jordi Fernández often says some variation of “it’s not just about the rookies, it’s about the whole group.” He went back to the well after the Brooklyn Nets fell to 2-12 by losing a home game to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, in which Egor Dëmin played just eight second-half minutes (five before garbage time). Dëmin shot 4-of-4 from deep in 15 first-half minutes, but opened up the third quarter with a couple sloppy turnovers 70 feet from the basket, and at that point, his night was just about over. Here’s the thing: It really is about the rookies, at least for us. Jordi Fernández does care about the whole group, of course, so when 26-year-old Tyrese Martin ascends from career G League player to potential NBA rotation piece under Fernández’s direction, that’s a big win for both parties. But it’s probably more truthful than crude to say it doesn’t really matter, at least not relative to the chances of the Nets getting from also-ran to contender. At the very least, reducing the #8 overall pick’s minutes in order to chase a 3-11 record seems short-sighted, no? “I didn’t just sub him out. I subbed the whole first unit out, and then we made a run. So sometimes, it’s just coaching,” said Fernández about Dëmin’s third-quarter substitution on Tuesday. This is untrue. Terance Mann exited the game soon after Dëmin, but the other three starters played the next four minutes. I’ve called off the minutes police so far and I do admire going all-out to beat the wretched Celtics at home, but this one seemed a bit odd. I don’t want to be this pedantic with a minutes count for each of the next 68 games, but, well, this season is about the rookies. Egor Dëmin Season stats: 13 GP, 20.7 MPG, 7.4/3.0/3.4 slash line, 38/38/89 shooting splits. 1.7 TO + 1.7 PF + 1.0 stock (stl+blk) per game. Stats this week: 3 GP, 20.4 MPG, 8.3/2.3/3.7 slash line. 8-of-24 from field, 6-of-15 from deep, 3-of-3 FT. Six TO + four PF + two stocks total. It’s tough to remember a young player exactly like Egor Dëmin. There’s the weight of this rebuild on his shoulders as the franchise’s first lottery pick in 15 years; after every game reporters want to talk to him and ask his head coach about his minutes. He is a 6’9” guard who hopes to grow into the type of passer and shooter who can lead a 3-point heavy offense to 130 points a night. All this stuff isn’t too unprecedented, but for now, his worst moments make him look out of place on an NBA court… I’m not talking about his long-term potential right now; near every young player talent has flaws that could render him a non-contributor at the NBA level. It’s just odd to place this kind of hope on a young point guard who can look stuck in the mud on defense or trip over his own feet bringing the ball up the court. Are these negative plays so much worse than a missed defensive rotation or a pass that isn’t made? How bad is a good player allowed to look? How often? Dëmin challenges us (me, at least) to distinguish aesthetic observations from value propositions. Likewise, not all of his best plays pop off the screen. This first pass, a sharp extra find supporting the notion Dëmin’s passing/processing will add value all over the court, does, but the second one, a simple read of a 4-on-3 break, doesn’t… Fans and coaches urge Dëmin to put more pressure on the rim, but the Nets often benefit from his habit of giving the ball up as soon as a defender gets in his way. It may just be his best quality right now, other than the 38.1% 3-point shooting. Anecdotally, it sure feels like the ball is going in when he gets an open look, and judging by their closeouts, defenses feel the same way. For a player that shot under 30% from deep in his sole NCAA season, that’s nothing to scoff at. Drake Powell Season stats: 8 GP, 18.6 MPG, 5.8/2.1/1.9 slash line, 49/38.5/100 shooting splits (three FTs). 1.4 TO + 2.1 PF + 1.0 stock (stl+blk) per game. Stats this week: 3 GP, 21.9 MPG, 5.0/2.7/2.0 slash line. 7-of-16…

The Olympic gold medalist, 22, has become the subject of many men's affections and some rarely attempt to hide it as they gush over the gymnast on social media.

A pedestrian and a driver were hospitalized Thursday morning after a motor-vehicle collision at East Chestnut Hill Road and Kingston Road in Newark, according to information released by NCCEMS spokeswoman …