For the vast majority of the season, it felt like nothing was going right for the Sacramento Kings. That included the shooting of DeMar DeRozan, whose points per game just wasn't where you would expect. Lately, DeRozan has found that gear again and is shooting the lights out every night.
Well, almost every night.
Being in his 17th season, it's safe to say that DeRozan has been around the league for a minute or two. He's known as the mid-range maestro, someone who steps inside that three-point arc, finds his spot, and drains it. Outside the arc is completely different story. No threes for you, DeMar!
That's the DeMar DeRozan the Kings traded for back in July 2024. They brought in the six-time All-Star to add some potent offense as well as one of the top clutch time players in the league. They needed someone to get the job done when it counts, and DeRozan has been that guy.
Unfortunately, that DeMar hasn't been around as much in the 2025-2026 season. His career average points per game is 21.2, but he's been shooting well under that with the Kings. Well, at least until their recent late-season surge, which has been a pleasant surprise for fans.
DeMar DeRozan finds his shooting rhythm
To be fair, it's not like DeRozan has been shooting terribly, but he also hasn't been the Deebo fans are used to seeing. In February, his points per game got down to 15.6. But that was in the midst of the Kings' 16-game losing streak, and no one was at their best.
Since that streak ended, the Kings have been playing much better basketball. That includes DeRozan. Against the Hornets, he collected 39 points on 17 of 22 from the field. Then, it was 27 points on 11 of 14 versus the Clippers and 41 points on 11 of 21 in a big win over the Jazz.
While 41 points was his highest single game total of the season, the next game wasn't so good. He finished with two points on one of four shooting from the field against the Spurs. That seems to have been a tanking scenario, though, as he had far fewer minutes than he'd been getting recently.
Considering the long-term goals of the Kings, buying out DeRozan in the offseason seems likely. That being said, it would be nice to see DeMar on a contender for the last few seasons of his career. No disrespect meant to Sacramento, but that's not going to be them anytime soon.