KING DEMAR
- Thread starter Tetsujin
- Start date
I've always been a big fan of DeMar's. Master of the mid-range and the pumpfake. He put up better defensive numbers last year than Barnes. Not that it makes him a lock down defender, but it means we probably don't get any worse. Offensively we should be hard to guard. Our depth should be a little better, but I'd like one more experienced player, preferly a wing with length. Robinson has my interest. Hopefully the KIngs have found another diamond in the rough! Or not!
All in all I think the Kings improved themselves and didn't really give up any major assets to do so. Sorry Harrison, no slight intended. The kept themselves in a fairly flexable position salary cap wise where they can still make a move if the opportunity presents itself, unlike several teams like the Lakers, Nugget, Sun's etc, who have to undergo an anal exam to make a deal.
It's a shame about Carter. He would have brought some excitement to the season and who knows if he actually plays this season. Or at least any meaningful minutes. I'm happy with the Carter pick, and would have been happy with Tristan Da Silva as well. I think Carter has a little more upside and possibly an all star game in his future, where I'm not as positive about Da Silva's chances. Doesn't mean he won't be a very good player. Only a little over 3 weeks till our first preseason game. The DDOS is almost over!!
All in all I think the Kings improved themselves and didn't really give up any major assets to do so. Sorry Harrison, no slight intended. The kept themselves in a fairly flexable position salary cap wise where they can still make a move if the opportunity presents itself, unlike several teams like the Lakers, Nugget, Sun's etc, who have to undergo an anal exam to make a deal.
It's a shame about Carter. He would have brought some excitement to the season and who knows if he actually plays this season. Or at least any meaningful minutes. I'm happy with the Carter pick, and would have been happy with Tristan Da Silva as well. I think Carter has a little more upside and possibly an all star game in his future, where I'm not as positive about Da Silva's chances. Doesn't mean he won't be a very good player. Only a little over 3 weeks till our first preseason game. The DDOS is almost over!!
Interview with DeRozan on his new memoir, Above the Noise, which deals with mental health issues:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5757558/2024/09/11/demar-derozan-kings-mental-health-book/
The interview appears in The Athletic and access may be restricted.
<This Kings move has been received pretty well across the league, but I still feel like folks aren’t truly gripping how good you still are at this age. To that point, I looked at a stat the other day that blew me away: If you score at a similar rate for the Kings in the next three seasons that you did the past three seasons with the Bulls, you’d be pushing for top 10 all-time in NBA scoring (DeRozan is 31st, just 86 points behind Stephen Curry).>
<To be honest, I think I just look at it like I want to give it everything I’ve got while I’m doing it. And when it’s all said and done, I’ll let everything speak for itself, you know what I mean? I don’t try to overdo it. I just try to stay consistent.>
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5757558/2024/09/11/demar-derozan-kings-mental-health-book/
The interview appears in The Athletic and access may be restricted.
<This Kings move has been received pretty well across the league, but I still feel like folks aren’t truly gripping how good you still are at this age. To that point, I looked at a stat the other day that blew me away: If you score at a similar rate for the Kings in the next three seasons that you did the past three seasons with the Bulls, you’d be pushing for top 10 all-time in NBA scoring (DeRozan is 31st, just 86 points behind Stephen Curry).>
<To be honest, I think I just look at it like I want to give it everything I’ve got while I’m doing it. And when it’s all said and done, I’ll let everything speak for itself, you know what I mean? I don’t try to overdo it. I just try to stay consistent.>
What a run this guy is on. I'm starting to think DeMar might be the most underrated star player in the league.
Also... I had forgotten about Jimmy Butler's stint with Prince and the Revolution.
R.I.P. to The Purple One.
Also... I had forgotten about Jimmy Butler's stint with Prince and the Revolution.
R.I.P. to The Purple One.
Which is why it's odd that neither of those teams has ever made much of an effort to get him. DeMar was available at the trade deadline and has always seemed interested in returning to LA but he's not a volume three-point shooter or flashy shotblocker so I guess a lot of modern GMs and sports journalists put him in a lower tier by default.
After the 1st practice
Brown: “He’s not just a scorer, he’s a basketball player/ I’m telling you guys, some of the passes he made [Tuesday], I didn’t think there were going to get there a couple of times. But he never panicked whenever he played. He played at his pace. He went quick when he wanted to go quick. He went slow when he wanted to go slow.
He kept the defense off balance. And when someone was open, he made the right pass … To have the luxury of having another guy that knows how to play the game, that can pass, dribble and shoot — and more importantly is willing to pass — that is going to help us be a little more dynamic on the offensive side of the floor.”
Fox: He commands so much attention, especially when he has the ball. Even when he does command that attention, he still is able to get to his spots, still put the ball in the basket. And when three or four guys collapse, you get a lot of open shots.
DeRozan: I have appreciation to still be doing what I’m doing at a high level. I have pride and want to be special and break this age barrier thing where people keep saying I’m old and I’m slowing down. I lead the league in minutes [per game] last year and wanted to play more. For me, I just keep myself in great condition. I take care of my body. I get enough rest. I don’t do nothing but chill with my kids and hoop.
https://andscape.com/features/demar-derozan-starts-fresh-with-sacramento-kings/
Brown: “He’s not just a scorer, he’s a basketball player/ I’m telling you guys, some of the passes he made [Tuesday], I didn’t think there were going to get there a couple of times. But he never panicked whenever he played. He played at his pace. He went quick when he wanted to go quick. He went slow when he wanted to go slow.
He kept the defense off balance. And when someone was open, he made the right pass … To have the luxury of having another guy that knows how to play the game, that can pass, dribble and shoot — and more importantly is willing to pass — that is going to help us be a little more dynamic on the offensive side of the floor.”
Fox: He commands so much attention, especially when he has the ball. Even when he does command that attention, he still is able to get to his spots, still put the ball in the basket. And when three or four guys collapse, you get a lot of open shots.
DeRozan: I have appreciation to still be doing what I’m doing at a high level. I have pride and want to be special and break this age barrier thing where people keep saying I’m old and I’m slowing down. I lead the league in minutes [per game] last year and wanted to play more. For me, I just keep myself in great condition. I take care of my body. I get enough rest. I don’t do nothing but chill with my kids and hoop.
https://andscape.com/features/demar-derozan-starts-fresh-with-sacramento-kings/
That's pretty amazing. I doubt if DeRozan will average 24 points a game for the next three seasons, but he could still be knocking on the door of the top 10. Let's say he averages 20 points a game for 60 games the next three seasons (or 18 points a game for 70 or so); that would be 3600 points. Then say he averages 10 pts a game for 2 seasons until he's 40, which would be another 1200 pts. I think that's fairly conservative, given that he stays healthy. If you add those 4800 pts, he's at around 28,400. That would make him 12th, just behind Shaquille O'Neal with 28,596! And it's not far fetched to imagine him passing Shaq, making him 11th. Durant is already 10th, so he won't catch him. James Harden is 23rd at 25,885, and he might well get more than 3000 more points. Curry is right with DeRozan right now, so he will probably always be ahead. But no one else at the moment is close (who knows what the future will bring?). That would still put DeRozan solidly in the top 15 all time for probably a long time, which is even more amazing, don't you think?!
The DHO with Sabonis and Derozan is already taking off:
https://www.si.com/nba/kings/sacram...hc-mike-brown-praises-new-dribble-handoff-duo
https://www.si.com/nba/kings/sacram...hc-mike-brown-praises-new-dribble-handoff-duo