Sacramento Kings: Dewayne Dedmon Is A Big Upgrade Over Cauley-Stein

Willingness to improve

The transformation of Dewayne Dedmon’s style of play has been impressive to watch.

During his first seven seasons in the league, Dedmon shot just one three-pointer in his 255 games played. 764 shots, one three. But as the game transformed, so did he. Dedmon attempted 358 threes over the last two seasons for the Hawks.

The increase in 3-point attempts was drastic, but not entirely rare. Many of the NBA’s 7-footers have adapted their game and begun to shoot from behind the arc more than ever. But very few, if any, have been so accurate so quickly.

For the sake of comparison, in DeMarcus Cousin’s first season with over 100+ 3-point attempts, he shot 33% from deep. In Brook Lopez’s first season with 100+, he was successful at a 34.6% clip and has never shot better than 36.5%.

This impressive uptick in production by Dedmon is quick proof of how much of an upgrade over Willie Cauley-Stein he will really be. The biggest attribute that Dedmon brings to the Kings is the exact opposite of the attribute that Kings fans loathed about Cauley-Stein.

Dewayne Dedmon will be ready and willing to grind for Sacramento, a city that is much like him: often overlooked and underrated.

The Sacramento Kings don’t need Dedmon to be a star. They don’t need 15 points per night from their veteran center. What they do need is a guy with a constant motor, who is willing to bump and bang for the crucial rebounds.