DeRozan enjoyed a memorable Kings debut in a loss to the Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SACRAMENTO – DeMar DeRozan has played on four different teams and has now been a part of 16 opening night celebrations in the NBA. For the six-time All-Star, it never gets old.
Therefore, although the Kings lost in their season openerDeRozan still left Ora 1 Center with some fond memories.
DeRozan was greeted with a loud ovation when he was introduced, and those cheers got louder when the rookie grabbed a microphone to address the crowd in what has become an annual tradition for the Kings for their first and last home games of each season.
To say the fans welcomed DeRozan is an easy understatement.
“To continue to play in this league as long as I’ve played and still be respected, still wanted by the fans and still be able to perform at a high level, I don’t take (any) of these moments for granted. overall,” DeRozan said after the Thursday’s 117-115 loss to the Timberwolves. “You only get a certain amount of time to play this game and we all want to be loved and appreciated for what we do on the court, so that was great.”
DeRozan was easily the Kings’ biggest offseason acquisition and arguably the best move the front office has made since swinging a trade for Domantas Sabonis in 2022.
The 35-year-old guard averaged 21.2 points per game during his 15-year NBA career and is coming off a spectacular 2023-24 year in which he put up 24.5 points per game – the third-highest mark of DeRozan’s career – and was runner-up to a two-time MVP Stephen Curry in the Clutch Player of the Year voting.
DeRozan didn’t waste much time endearing himself to fans.
He made the Kings’ first basket of the season on a driving layup 34 seconds into his debut then easily split a pair of Wolves defenders on the way to an easy basket in the fourth quarter as DeRozan scored eight of his team-high 26. points.
DeRozan shot 7 of 18 overall from the floor and repeatedly got to the free throw line, knocking down 12 of his 14 attempts from the stripe. He also grabbed eight rebounds and had two assists and a steal.
“We were rusty with a lot of things, but the effort was there,” DeRozan said. “Once we get that rhythm with each other, I think everything will fit together perfectly. Understanding where guys like the ball, getting to their spots, everything. But for the most part I’m happy with how aggressive we were and how we competed. It’s just a shame we didn’t get the win.”
That was about the only big thing the Kings had to complain about – not finishing. They could have shot better, no doubt, but they limited the turnovers after a somewhat sloppy start and did a great job of capitalizing on Minnesota’s mistakes.
Ironically, the one player who was supposed to suffer the most from DeRozan’s arrival in terms of minutes and shots was Keegan Murray, who dropped a cool 23 points and 11 rebounds.
The Kings’ offense didn’t look much different with DeRozan in the game, although the spacing seemed better. The end result was five Sacramento players in double figures, with three of them (DeRozan, Murray and Sabonis) scoring at least 23 points.
“We all play the same way, then when he gets the ball, he goes and gets a bucket,” Sabonis said. “There was a moment there when we couldn’t score, he went to his mid-range game and scored some baskets for us.”
The game slipped away from the Kings in the fourth quarter but they were still in position to win or force overtime at the end. With two seconds left, DeRozan tried to inbound the ball and overlooked a pair of teammates who appeared to have better angles and instead lobbed a pass across the court to Murray, whose off-balance desperation 3-point attempt at the buzzer hit the rim in front. falling away
It was a play the Kings practiced in the days leading up to the game but one they had only run in a preseason game once before.
Brown noted afterward that DeRozan had a series of reads to make on the play and should have put more zip on the pass to Murray.
Despite that, DeRozan ended his night still feeling optimistic about what lies ahead for him and the Kings.
“They only hurt us when we hurt ourselves and gave them open shots,” DeRozan said, “As long as we limit that moment, that stretch that we had in the third quarter, we pull out a win. But like I said, it’s great learning experience.
“It’s amazing. How dynamic this team is is incredible. I’ve got the utmost confidence in this group of guys.”
