The Kings Shooters thrive on the attention of DeMar DeRozan

In the offseason acquisition of DeMar DeRozan, the Sacramento Kings added one of the best isolated scorers in the game. But what people don’t give him enough credit for is his death. His passing isn’t flashy, but DeRozan uses his elite scoring ability to set up his teammates with ease.

As shown in the video below, DeMar is such a talented scorer that teams are forced to send help when he drives or hits the post, leading to wide-open looks for the Kings’ shooters.

Can we all agree that the idea of DeMar DeRozan killing the Kings was far from meaningful?

The ease with which he draws double teams creates so many great looks for the Kings’ shooters. pic.twitter.com/71Wt3k1ENj

— Will Z. Stats (@will_zimmerle) October 31, 2024

The best part is the ease with which DeRozan gets help from the defender. He is patient, waits for them to commit and knows exactly where his teammates are to set them up.

When the Kings traded for the six-time All-Star, many worried that he would interfere with the division between the teams. But after four games, the exact opposite is happening. DeRozan himself only takes 1.8 three-point attempts per game, but he regularly sets others up on looks from deep to make up for his lower volume from three.

His chemistry with Kevin Huerter is especially impressive considering how little time they played together. Huerter missed the preseason recovering from an injury, but has looked like the Kevin Huerter he once was after a shaky game and thrives in all the space DeRozan and company create in the Kings offense.

It’s a small sample, but Kevin Huerter has yet to miss a shot he’s made after a pass from DeMar DeRozan. He is 7-of-7 from the field and 4-of-4 from three on those shots.

Impressive chemistry for the two players with only 4 games together. pic.twitter.com/Lv4OVelktt

— Will Z. Stats (@will_zimmerle) October 31, 2024

Putting DeRozan and Huerter, or any other strong player, alone with the ball on the court forces defenders to make an almost impossible decision: help Huerter or let DeRozan go one-on-one.

All DeRozan needs to do is make the right plays and the Kings can get great looks whenever they want. And the great news is that the 16-year veteran makes the right decision on replay, making it look easy.

DeMar’s 23 points per game and scoring will continue to make headlines, but his underrated passing has already paid off for the Kings just four games into the season. With more time to bond and get some chemistry, there’s no telling how powerful this offense could be.

Follow the Sacramento Kings on SI Facebook and Twitter.

WITHsign up for YouTube for the first Kings news and live podcasts!