NBA Draft: Re-drafting the historic 2009 NBA Draft

Re-drafting the 2009 NBA Draft: 4) DeMar DeRozan, Sacramento Kings

Before I begin, let me say that it really doesn’t matter who the Sacramento Kings picked at this position — outside of Blake Griffin — they would’ve found a way to mess that player up.

Franchises like the Kings need the most idiot-proof star to pull them out of the muck of incompetence and even then — as was the case with DeMarcus Cousins — the gormlessness of the franchise can be too much to overcome.

That said, if the Kings took DeMar DeRozan in this draft, they would’ve experienced the same frustrations that the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs went through with the Compton-born guard as their go-to player.

Don’t get me wrong, DeRozan is a good player — his 19.9 points per game, .113 WS/48 and four NBA All-Star appearances through 10 seasons speak for themselves — but his time with the Raptors made it painfully clear that the former USC Trojan came to prominence in the wrong era.

A big Kobe Bryant fan growing up, DeRozan adopted many of the future Hall of Famer’s tendencies, particularly his affinity for long, contested 2’s. Unfortunately, his high-volume shooting style clashed with a league that valued efficiency. This ultimately kept Toronto from getting past LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Still, it’s better than whatever fate would await him if the Kings had drafted him.