Malik Monk once said about his tandem with De’Aaron Fox: “They can’t stop both of us.” Now, opponents will have to stop Fox, Monk and DeMar DeRozan. While this also results in some roster imbalance with the current Sacramento Kings rotation, that offensive firepower is a good problem to have.
The Kings, in an effort to improve on the last two seasons and keep up with the Western Conference, traded Harrison Barnes, Chris Duarte, an unprotected first round pick swap, and second round picks Saturday for DeRozan. The veteran was signed to a reported three-year, $74 million deal.
Here’s a look at DeRozan’s addition to the Kings lineup.
How DeRozan Will Help the Kings
Steady Scoring Punch
Most are aware of DeRozan’s scoring ability. Since the 2009-10 season when he entered the league, he has averaged 21.2 points per game with a career field goal percentage of 46%. DeRozan, also known as “Deebo,” is lethal from midrange and is crafty at scoring around the rim. At 34 years old, many are right to question how much he has left in the tank, but last season indicates there is plenty: he averaged 24 points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 37 minutes per game – yes, 37 minutes per game, the second most minutes per game in his career. He played a league-leading 2,998 minutes, at 34 years old. Domantas Sabonis was second with 2,928. He also started in 79 games for the Chicago Bulls last season. His ability to score consistently should help improve the Kings offense and maybe get it closer to where it was two seasons ago (depending on fit, of course). A third consistent scoring option in the starting lineup is likely a big relief for Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
Versatile Offensive Skills
There is a lot in Deebo’s offensive bag. He has nifty finishes at the rim, nasty fadeaway jumpers, isolation, back-to-the-basket game, step-backs, lean-in floaters, sly pump fakes, hesitation dribbles and some incredible patience. Not to mention, he rarely turns the ball over, even when dribbling into tough shots and positions on the floor (he averaged just 1.7 turnovers last season). He isn’t the best at it, but he can knock down a three on occasion (he shot 33% from three last season on 2.8 attempts per game).
Take a look at some his highlights from last season.
Another Playmaker/Clutch Player
DeRozan is a good playmaker, averaging more than five assists per game in recent seasons. His passing ability shouldn’t be forgotten because of his midrange game. He has been known to pass out of the lane off 360 spins – something I am excited to see happen in Golden 1 Center. This should complement Fox’s responsibility as primary ball handler and give him the ability to focus a little more on scoring. This might, and I say might because there may be more dribbling going on in this new offense and less touches for Sabonis, result in better ball movement and an increase in open shots for others.
The real benefit though comes with the fact that Kings desperately needed a third player who could get their own shot. As of last season that list was Fox and Monk. We saw how detrimental that was when Monk went down with an injury toward the end of the season. Now, if Fox or Monk is out with an injury opponents won’t be able to collapse on the other because no one else can play-make. This also will come in handy during close games as DeRozan finished second last season for the Clutch Player Of The Year Award. He can make difficult clutch shots that will alleviate some of the pressure on Fox and Monk, and give Mike Brown more flexibility in those moments. Imagine having Fox, Monk and DeRozan coming at you in the closing minute of a tight game. They can’t stop all three, especially when the game slows down and they can dump it into Deebo to get his shot however he wants in the midrange with three-point shooters spread out around him.
Veteran Leadership
DeRozan is a six-time All Star and has appeared in the playoffs seven times over his career. With this comes a level of veteran leadership that can be crucial for a team with a core lacking a lot of playoff experience. His wisdom should help the team’s younger players, especially Keegan Murray who is likely hard at work right now adding elements to his offensive arsenal. If Deebo can pass on just a fraction of that midrange knowledge to Murray that would be a big boost.
Aside from that, the sense of calm and confidence in clutch situations will be very much welcomed, especially should the Kings get back to the playoffs next season.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan had this to say:
“I appreciate him. He’s a consummate professional. The thing I love about him is he’ll do whatever he’s gotta do to help the team. In conversations with him about us having to play faster and him to get up the floor, he does what you ask him to do. He’s an elite closer. And he’s been that way for his career. When the game slows down, you try to get him in areas of the floor where he does what he does. But the unselfishness and sacrifice for him for 36 minutes of trying to get off the ball, advance the ball, help us play fast, get those other guys involved, generate shots for those guys and still keep his head in the game, it speaks to his greatness.”
Offensive Flexibility
DeRozan can score from pretty much anywhere on the floor, which adds a new element to the Kings offense. The midrange shot, ability to finish at the rim and make an occasional three creates a balanced scoring punch that can keep opponents guessing. This versatility may complement the quick attacking style of Fox, as well as his ability to hit threes, and the inside-out style of Sabonis, depending on the scheme.
Free Throws
The Kings were dead last in free throw percentage last season at 74.6%. They were 21st in free throws attempted at 20.8 per game. DeRozan attempted 7.7 free throws per game last season and averaged 85% from the line. Fox led the team last season with 5.7 attempts per game, but only averaged 73%. Sabonis was second on the team with 5.1 attempts, but only averaged 70%. Monk, a good free throw shooter, was a distant third in terms of attempts at 2.8 per game.
Injecting DeRozan into the lineup should show great returns for the team in this regard.
Steals Leading To Transition Baskets
DeRozan isn’t known for defense, and we will get to that, but he can close on passing lanes in the backcourt and grab steals that can lead to fast break buckets. His defensive on/off stats throughout his career don’t show the greatest results, but he can force turnovers which will be a valuable asset when you have quick guards like Fox and Monk alongside him.
How DeRozan Might Not Help the Kings
Defensive Limitations
While the Kings did improve on defense last season, there is much more still needed. That should start with rim protection, size in the front court and length on the perimeter. DeRozan does not come with a versatile defensive skill package that can solve this. DeRozan can use his anticipation and positioning to force mistakes by opponents. However, he struggles to fight through screens and can’t guard players who can change direction fast, which results in the players he is guarding getting a lot of open shots. Fox will need to keep his tenacity on defense up at a high level when sharing the court with DeRozan, and it will put even more pressure on Sabonis with rim protection if more reinforcements don’t come this offseason. As Hoop Venue so greatly broke down, the Bulls used DeRozan as a four on defense to hide his limitations in stopping the ball in space in the backcourt. In that role, he would do what he could to help around the rim.
Three-Point Shooting
Deebo is the midrange king for a reason: He doesn’t take a lot of threes. Over his career, he has averaged just 1.6 three attempts per game, though he did increase that to 2.8 last season. But his career average is just 29% from three (33% last season). Mike Brown loves spray threes and spacing as part of his offense, so this will be an interesting wrinkle to watch next season. With less threes taken in the starting lineup; opponents could collapse on the team’s top scorers. That is unless more of the offense runs through DeRozan in the middle of the floor with him passing out for open threes.
Potential Spacing Issues
Speaking of spacing, both Sabonis and DeRozan lean toward operating in the mid-range and interior areas of the court. Brown will need to adjust his schemes/usage next season to make sure the floor is properly spaced so that both Sabonis and DeRozan can operate effectively and avoid overcrowding. The two of them could potentially fit together in the pick and roll though. The good news is that Deebo is flexible in terms of his playing style depending on the rest of the roster.
Donovan had this to say about his time in Chicago:
“He’s also getting everybody else involved and playing stylistically in a way that’s best for those guys. To his greatness, he can play a lot of different ways.”
Rim Protection
While DeRozan can grab boards for his position(s) (4.3 rebounds per game last season), he does not address the Kings’ need for more rim protection. This shouldn’t be a surprise considering he’s 6’6’’ and not a front court player, but this still remains one of the biggest holes in the rotation. The front office will need to look for a solid defensive big man to deliver the necessary shot-blocking and front-court defense to alleviate some of the pressure on that side of the ball for Sabonis.
Age and Fit with Team Timeline
DeRozan will be 35 when next season begins. Fox, Sabonis, Monk and Murray are all under 29. But the NBA is a talent league and the Kings needed to add talent regardless of age. This is a concern for the longevity of how DeRozan will mold with the team as time goes on, but he has more than proven himself to be durable and productive into his later playing days. As mentioned before, he averaged a very productive 37 minutes per game last season. And being productive into his later years is a goal of his. He said:
“I hate the stigma in terms that 33, 34, 35 is old. I hate that. So, I try to just break the stigma of that,” DeRozan told The Athletic.
The Kings offense is going to look different next season and if Monte McNair can balance out the rest of the roster and Brown can effectively incorporate DeRozan into his schemes this could end up being a really successful deal. The potential spacing issues and how this changes what Sabonis does, as well as how much DeRozan’s dribbling combined with Fox’s ball dominance are some big questions. This is a talent-driven league though and when it comes to the playoffs, these last two seasons proved that the Kings existing talent pool isn’t enough to keep up. Kudos to the front office for bringing in an offensive weapon of this caliber while not impacting future flexibility heavily.
And shout out to Harrison Barnes for his professionalism and being part of the original Beam Team.
Check out this video Barnes posted:
Thank you, Sacramento. pic.twitter.com/S2O5tEwLxS
— Harrison Barnes (@hbarnes) July 7, 2024
Also, I mentioned it above already, but I encourage you to check out the excellent video breakdown from Hoop Venue about DeRozan’s fit with the Kings.
