Various teams have benefitted from the stardom of DeMar DeRozan since he emerged as a star in the 2013-14 NBA season. However, he hasn’t won anything significant for the teams he’s played for, and an anonymous executive believes winning can’t be achieved with the six-time All-Star.
DeRozan is in his fourth team in the league, the Sacramento Kings. Even if his athleticism has diminished, he is still a useful offensive player on the court. The veteran star has played 18 games for the Kings, averaging 22.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst wrote about DeRozan’s stint with the Kings and mentioned that not everyone has been a big fan of his play. An executive criticized his style, stating his style has not resulted in any of his teams winning.
“Always a midrange shooter, DeRozan is taking more shots from that distance than ever before,” wrote Windhorst. “A third of his shots are from 10 to 16 feet and he’s shooting a career-best 52% on those looks. He’s getting to the line and proving to be a reliable shooter.”
“But, as some around the league have mentioned to ESPN, DeRozan is doing it on a losing team. In the past six years with the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls, DeRozan has had one winning season and one trip to the playoffs.
NBA executive doesn’t think you can win with DeMar DeRozan
"His play hasn’t driven winning, and it’s something that unfortunately has been the case throughout his career and it’s part of why he’s changed teams a bunch."https://t.co/VYU0iWUzRj
— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) December 6, 2024
“‘DeRozan is a highly skilled player who is great to have in the locker room and a guy who you want to give the ball to at the end of a game,’ one executive said. ‘But his play hasn’t driven winning, and it’s something that unfortunately has been the case throughout his career and it’s part of why he’s changed teams a bunch.’”
DeRozan is the Kings’ biggest acquisition over the summer, executing a three-team sign-and-trade deal. The veteran star is signed with the team on a three-year, $74 million contract, but Sacramento is 12th in the Western Conference with an 11-13 record.
How has DeMar DeRozan played for the Kings?
DeMar DeRozan was brought in in hopes of helping the Kings have a sure third option behind De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. However, the trio hasn’t elevated the team with how they’ve played.
DeMar DeRozan has negatively affected the team’s performance from beyond the arc this season. The three-time All-NBA is attempting 2.1 shots from deep on 28.9% shooting. His efficiency from the 3-point arc has not been positive. Instead, the team’s performance in shooting the ball from deep has declined from 36.6% last season to 33.8%.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
