3 Reasons Why The Kings Shouldn’t Trade Dewayne Dedmon
#2. Maybe His Shot Will Improve?
The number one reason that the Kings gave Dedmon a $40 million contract was his capability to stretch the floor with his 3-point shot, on which he averaged 36.8 percent over his previous two seasons.
But Dedmon has struggled with his touch since the beginning of the season, and is currently shooting an abysmal 19.7 percent from deep. His shots are not falling and opponents are no longer respecting his ability as an outside shooter, rendering his floor-stretching skills useless. If he is unable to provide the offense with adequate spacing, then what role does he have on the current roster?
But as our very own Brenden Nunes pointed out in December, Dedmon is a notoriously slow starter. Through 21 games last season with the Hawks, Dedmon was shooting 25% from deep. After Game #23, he shot 42.7 percent for the remainder of the season.
Dewayne Dedmon has played 21 games this season.
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) December 9, 2019
He averages 22.6% from three.
Last season, after 21 games, Dedmon was shooting 25% from three.
In game 23 he went 5/5 from deep and then shot 42.7% from deep the rest of the season.
Dedmon is far past that mark this year with 34 appearances under his belt, but it certainly provides some hope that he can turn things around at some point. He is after all on a three-year deal, and the Kings are still hungry for a big man who can spread the floor. Nemanja Bjelica does a nice job being a reliable outside shooter, but he is undersized and is certainly not manning the center position.
If Dedmon is able to regain the form on his outside shot and become a respectable threat, he can still be the valuable piece that the Kings thought they were getting last summer.