After a well-organized day last Saturday, almost to the minute to then allow the player to be presented in front of the local public, DeMar DeRozan So arrived in Sacramento, coming from Chicago.
Targeted by several franchises, how does the All-Star rear justify the choice of the Kings? “They showed the most interest and how needed I was”, answers the back. “Being part of something that’s already established is special. I asked myself what I could do there. I thought for a second to put things in perspective and I was comfortable with the idea.”
It must be said that, on the sporting level, the Kings are ahead, having won 48 and 46 matches these last two seasons. While the Bulls were stuck at 40 then 36 successes.
“It's the whole structure”DeMar DeRozan continues with more specific arguments later. “First of all, the coaching: Mike Brown has been incredible. His passion goes a long way. Then there’s De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, what they’ve done for the last two years. I was an All-Star with them two seasons ago. Being with them, helping them, I’m excited.”
Finally, there is the return home to California for this Compton native. With one of the most ardent fans in the league. “You see how passionate the fans are. That always struck me. It's important to me, to have that support from the fans, who fight for their team.”
The duo with De'Aaron Fox, the terror of the last quarters
If we return to the technical arguments, we inevitably come across his future association with De'Aaron Fox, which will whet the appetite of the fans. And rightly so since the two players are the most prolific in the league in the last quarter in 2023/24: 550 points scored for DeRozan, 538 for Fox. The two had even finished in the first places of the “Clutch Player of the Year” trophy in 2023.
“I told him I was crazy to see him win that trophy in front of me.”says the former Toronto rearguard, who remembers one event in particular. “It was a battle and I remember he scored the winning basket against us in Chicago.”
Now they will be next to each other and the defenses will be able to tremble. “I can’t wait. You think about the moments in matches where you can look at your teammate and tell them to go get the match. Or vice versa. Having a player like that by your side makes things move forward. I’m not the only one who can do that, so I can’t wait for those moments where one of them will say to the other: go ahead, make us win the match, I’ll do the rest.”
| DeMar DeRozan | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2009-10 | TOR | 77 | 22 | 49.8 | 25.0 | 76.3 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 8.6 |
| 2010-11 | TOR | 82 | 35 | 46.7 | 9.6 | 81.3 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 17.2 |
| 2011-12 | TOR | 63 | 35 | 42.2 | 26.1 | 81.0 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 16.7 |
| 2012-13 | TOR | 82 | 37 | 44.5 | 28.3 | 83.1 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 18.1 |
| 2013-14 | TOR | 79 | 38 | 42.9 | 30.5 | 82.4 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 22.7 |
| 2014-15 | TOR | 60 | 35 | 41.3 | 28.4 | 83.2 | 0.7 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 20.1 |
| 2015-16 | TOR | 78 | 36 | 44.6 | 33.8 | 85.0 | 0.8 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 23.5 |
| 2016-17 | TOR | 74 | 35 | 46.7 | 26.6 | 84.2 | 1.0 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 27.3 |
| 2017-18 | TOR | 80 | 34 | 45.6 | 31.0 | 82.5 | 0.7 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 23.0 |
| 2018-19 | SAN | 77 | 35 | 48.1 | 15.6 | 83.0 | 0.7 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 21.2 |
| 2019-20 | SAN | 68 | 34 | 53.1 | 25.7 | 84.5 | 0.7 | 4.9 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 22.1 |
| 2020-21 | SAN | 61 | 34 | 49.5 | 25.7 | 88.0 | 0.7 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 6.9 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 21.6 |
| 2021-22 | CHI | 76 | 36 | 50.4 | 35.2 | 87.7 | 0.7 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 27.9 |
| 2022-23 | CHI | 74 | 36 | 50.4 | 32.4 | 87.2 | 0.5 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 24.5 |
| 2023-24 | CHI | 79 | 38 | 48.0 | 33.3 | 85.3 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 24.0 |
| Total | 1110 | 35 | 46.9 | 29.6 | 84.1 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 21.3 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
