The Case for DeMar DeRozan in a New Role, Position

The Case for a Future Hall of Fame Backup Point Guard

DeMar DeRozan is known primarily for his scoring, specifically in the mid-range, where he is one of the best of all time. Somewhat lost in the barrage of middies over his 16-year career is the fact that he’s one of the best pick-and-roll players in the league. After filtering out players who played less than 50 games last season and had less than one PnR possession per game, DeRozan was sixth in the league in points per possession as a pick-and-roll ballhandler.

The names above him? Tyrese Haliburton, Payton Pritchard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Damian Lillard, and Kyrie Irving. Scoring a lot out of pick-and-rolls doesn’t necessarily mean that a player is a great playmaker, but DeRozan is much better in that regard than he gets credit for. 

Because DeRozan has so much gravity as a scorer, he draws a ton of attention from the defense and opens the Kings' offense up in ways Monk doesn’t. In the play above, you see DeMar drive off of a Domantas Sabonis handoff, draw two defenders, and kick out to Fox to get Golden State into rotation and open up an easy look for Keegan Murray.

While Murray misses the shot and DeRozan would only be credited with an assist in hockey, this kind of play shows how DeRozan can translate his scoring ability into open shots for others. After the All-Star break (and the Fox trade), DeRozan averaged 5.7 assists per game and just 1.37 turnovers per game while upping his scoring by almost a point per game from the first half of the season.

The sample size isn’t huge, but it’s usually a good sign when a player’s usage and assists go up and turnovers stay the same. 

How This Helps the Team as a Whole

The other factor I considered is DeRozan’s fit with the starting lineup. Although he had one of his better seasons from three last year, DeRozan isn’t ever going to be a great shooter behind the line. He will always be more effective with the ball in his hands, which means that spacing him with shooters and complementary players makes a lot more sense than trying to fit him around two other non-shooters.

That may be discrediting Sabonis a bit, who shot 41% from deep last season, but like Schröder, Sabonis needs a ton of time and space to get his shot off. Starting Keon Ellis and bringing DeRozan off the bench would allow DeRozan free rein to attack as the focal point of the offense. There would be questions about pairing Monk and DeRozan together off the bench, but their +4.2 net rating as a two-man unit last season gives some hope that they could figure it out. 

Not only would bringing DeRozan off the bench give him carte blanche to play his own game, but it would also make the game easier for everyone else.

First, bringing Keon Ellis into the starting lineup would significantly improve the defense, which was abysmal for most of the season. Pairing Ellis with Schröder and LaVine also makes a ton of sense on both ends of the court. Having another 40% three-point shooter like Ellis on the court will give the two guards much more space to attack, and Ellis would give LaVine some much-needed defensive cover. 

Second, it would allow the Kings to get Keegan Murray a lot more involved in the offense. Last season, Murray clearly struggled offensively after the changes to the Kings’ roster, and much of that could be remedied by removing one of the more ball-dominant players from the starting lineup. Murray would see a lot more opportunities on set plays, which should give his offense a necessary boost. 

Will it Actually Happen?

Probably not. Unfortunately, putting one of the greatest scorers of all time on the bench is much easier said than done. Between the politics of it all and the fact that DeRozan was one of, if not the, most impactful players on the Kings last season, I wouldn’t expect to see him come off the bench. I would love to be surprised here because I do think this move could be the difference between being a top-eight seed in the West or missing the Play-In tournament altogether.