Darren Collison has some fan-favorite shoes to fill for the Sacramento Kings this upcoming season, and he also has something to prove. Since being drafted in 2009 by the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans), Collison hasn’t shown he has what it takes to stick as a starter. Aside from his two seasons with the Indiana Pacers, Collison hasn’t started in more than fifty percent of games for any of his teams, those being New Orleans, the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers.
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Sep 26, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Darren Collison (7) during media day at the Sacramento Kings practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Collison joins the Kings with the departure of Isaiah Thomas. Thomas, known more for his shooting than his passing, signed with the Phoenix Suns in the off-season and left a void in the Kings offense. However, DeMarcus Cousins feels that the Kings new point guards, Collison and Ramon Sessions, can not only fill the role, but improve the team in the process. In an interview with Jason Jones, DMC announced,
DMC on PG changes: "it’s been incredible. It’s been a smooth transition. The ball is moving a lot better. It’s not stuck in one place ...
— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) October 1, 2014
To add to Cousins’ statement, if you look at Thomas’ USG% (which measure the percentage a player either shoots the ball, turns it over, or gets to the line), from last season, which was Thomas’ break out year, you’ll see it was considerably larger than Collison’s (about 6.6% more). That could drastically effect the stats both put up.
Collison, who signed a three-year, $16 million deal with the Kings, now has a fresh start as the starting point guard of a re-building team, and if stats show, he’s ready for the opportunity. According to Basketball Reference, during his career, Collison has averaged 15 points (on 12 FGA), 6.1 assists to go along with 2.7 turnovers, per 36 minutes. In comparison, Thomas averaged 19 points (on 14 FGA), 5.8 assists and 2.6 turnovers per 36.
Collison chose the Kings over the Clippers, not only because of the offer, but because the Kings gave Collison the opportunity to start and that’s something you want to see in a player. Someone who’d rather start and try to help a struggling franchise, rather than ride the pine behind an all star point guard for a playoff team. Collison has his shot, and it’s his time to show what he’s capable of.