The Sacramento Kings have struggled the last 10 games, as injuries have taken a huge toll. But the Kings got good news: DeMar DeRozan is expected to return against San Antonio, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
“Six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan was a full participant in Saturday’s practice after missing the past two games with lower back muscle inflammation,” said Anderson. ” DeRozan is expected to be listed as probable.”
Importance of DeMar DeRozan For Sacramento Kings and Impact Of Kevin Huerter’s Injury
Sacramento (9-11) sits in 12th place in the Western Conference. The Kings are 3-7 in the last 10, including losing five of their last six after falling to Portland (115-106) on Friday. DeRozan missed the last two games and five of the last 10 because of inflammation in his back.
Meanwhile, Malik Monk returned from injury three games ago after a seven-game absence. Domantas Sabonis also missed two games during this stretch, and Trey Lyles, who has been out for about a month with a Grade 1 sprain, missed most of the last three.
How Does DeRozan’s Return Impacts The Kings
Sacramento has won 94 games over the last two seasons, their most over two years in more than 15 seasons, thanks to a top-10 scoring offense. The Kings dropped from No. 1 in points in 2022-23 to number nine a year ago, so they acquired DeRozan to add more firepower.
It appears that Sacramento is on the verge of being a top-10 scoring offense once again. The Kings are averaging 113.3 points a game, which is 13th in the league. But they have only had their regular top starting unit together for 12 of their first 20 games.
Since all of Monk, DeRozan, and Sabonis’ — three of Sacramento’s top four scorers — absences have come within the last 10 games, it is no surprise that the Kings struggled on that end of the floor during this 10-game stretch. DeRozan, Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, and Keegan Murray make up four-fifths of the Kings’ top two offensive five-player lineups. Monk and Kevin Huerter are the fifth players.
Over the previous 10 games, the Kings are just 17th in the league in offensive rating (112.0), averaging 109.9 points a game. Conversely, Sacramento scored sixth in the NBA, at 117.5 points a game through the first 10 games.
Offensive Savant
DeRozan is an offensive savant. He is part of six of the Kings’ top eight offensive units.
Not only will the Kings be glad to have DeRozan’s 22.6 points a game back, but he brings so much more than scoring to the table. The 35-year-old forward gives the Kings a third player who can playmaker for himself and others—Fox and Monk are the others—and thus able to take over a game. He has been selected as a top-3 clutch player in each of the last two seasons.
DeRozan has 14 double-figure scoring games, topping the 20-point mark 11 times and the 30-point plateau on three occasions. He also averages 4.1 assists a game, doling out at least two dimes in all 15 appearances, and his 18.2% assist percentage is fourth on the squad.
Shots Selection and Defense
DeRozan also aids the Kings’ efficiency despite not being a three-point threat. He is a shot-maker who takes quality shots, connecting on 50.8% of his nearly 17 attempts and getting to the free-throw line at a 35.3% rate—third-best on the Kings.
More importantly, Sacramento takes far fewer 3-pointers when he is on the floor. The Kings, who are making only 33% of their threes, average 23.2 attempts from down in the 36 minutes a game he is on the floor. The Kings are averaging 17.5 attempts from downtown in the 21.5 minutes per contest (including the games he missed) that he was off the court. They have an offensive rating of 117 when DeRozan is on the floor and outscore their opponents by 1.6 a game.
DeRozan doesn’t get enough credit for his defensive ability. While certainly not an all-league defender type, he is not a liability and can create some turnovers with his length and instincts. DeRozan is capable of guarding both wing spots and power forward, having one of his better defensive seasons. He doesn’t foul, committing just 11 shooting fouls, while holding opponents to 44% shooting from the field.
Kevin Huerter Doubtful Versus San Antonio
Huerter is not expected to play tonight against San Antonio, as he is listed as doubtful on the team’s injury report today. The 26-year-old guard suffered a right ankle injury on Friday night in Portland and did not practice yesterday, per Fox40 Sean Cunningham.
It will be interesting to see if it will be a one-game absence. Ankle injuries can be tricky.
Regardless, it seems that Huerter has fallen into coach Mike Brown‘s doghouse. Huerter, who had a career year in his first season with the Kings, struggled last year but still managed to record his fifth straight campaign of 10-plus points a game, knocking down 36.1% of his 3-point attempts.
However, Huerter has struggled mightily this year. So much so that he has seen 31 minutes since moving to the bench three games ago. He averages 8.9 points on 8.4 shot attempts and makes 27.7% from deep.
While Huerter is likely to improve his 3-point percentage, as he is a 37.7% career shooter from beyond the arc, he has a measly offensive rating of 101 and a minus 3.7 plus/minus rating. Heuerter is not much more than a 3-point specialist, besides grabbing an occasional defensive board, and is a liability on the defensive end. He doesn’t create many turnovers and is awful defending the 3-point line.
Who Will Fill Huerter’s Minutes
Keon Ellis, who played well while starting in place of the injured Huerter last year, has had a relatively strong start to the season, though he hasn’t been great in his last three starts. Like Huerter, Ellis is a three-point specialist, and while he is not a great defender, he is better than Huerter and is athletic enough to force turnovers and a few shots.
Ellis will likely remain in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future. He has averaged 25 minutes a game in his four starts this season, so expect him to see about that amount of time.
However, it could fluctuate slightly with DeRozan’s return, as Monk has played 70 minutes over the last two games. Eliis has played all three backcourt spots, but with Jae Crowder now in the fold, that likely won’t be necessary, especially since DeRozan is also healthy.
Crowder figures to be the second player off the bench for the Kings after starting his first two appearances for DeRozan. He played well against Minnesota on both ends in his debut for the Kings but struggled versus Portland defensively.
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