The Sacramento Kings, after inventing the concept of the beam and riding that high to a playoff spot for the first time in two decades, have taken gigantic steps back in the years since. Now dawdling near the bottom of the conference, the future appears very murky for them.
However, for a roster that was tailor-made to compete immediately, the team’s struggles have been remarkably poor. As a result, veteran superstar DeMar DeRozan is sounding the alarm bells on the year the team is having so far.
DeMar DeRozan Laments on the Kings’ Season So Far
With a 3-13 record, Sacramento is in second-to-last place in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, with the way things are moving, it is hard to imagine them getting markedly better this season.
They have a bottom-five offensive rating and a bottom-three defensive rating, as no player on the roster has been able to make a noticeable impact. That extends to DeRozan as well, who is having one of the worst seasons of his career.
Averaging the least amount of points (17.9) since his third year in the league (2011-12), the fewest assists (3.5) since 2012-13, and rebounds (3.1) since 2009-10, he has been a part of the problem for the Kings.
As they’ve lost eight consecutive games, DeRozan has failed to make a major impact for the team, failing to reach double digits on three separate occasions. As the struggles continue to mount, he sat down with the Sacramento Bee to voice his frustration.
“Don’t nobody want to lose the way we’ve been losing, I think it’s just everything right now for us is just sh**ty honestly. Sometimes when you’re in the deep end, it’s hard to hear anything. You’re just trying to swim your way out, one way or another.”
Given the roster construction, with non-shooters like DeRozan, Russell Westbrook, and Domantas Sabonis on the roster, the offense has been a slog to watch. Moreover, with the latter out for an extended period of time, things might only get more difficult in Sacramento.
To make matters worse, a complete teardown might also not make things much better for the Kings. In LaVine, Westbrook, and DeRozan, the team has aging veterans who might not fetch a great return for the franchise.
As a result, a more methodical, patient rebuild might be the only pathway forward for the fan base. After struggling for essentially the entire 21st century, it doesn’t look like things are going to get better anytime soon for the Kings’ fan base.
