Kings News: De’Aaron Fox Makes Major Confession on Added Pressure Following DeMar DeRozan’s Arrival

Over the last two years, the momentum has shifted in Sacramento. Since they broke their postseason barriers, the urgency has been devoted to winning. For the majority of last season, they looked in the picture to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season. However, key injuries late in the season derailed their journey. Now, everyone in the building is placing high demands on the upcoming campaign.

The action began in the offseason. Their strength has always been the offense, but the Mike Brown-coached squad lacked a veteran on their roster. That void was fulfilled with the integration of DeMar DeRozan, one of the most decorated scorers in modern history. He also happens to be at a point in his career where Deebo wants to propel a team to win a title. Subsequently, those expectations have spread around the building.

“Obviously with not making the playoffs last year guys kind of have a chip on their shoulder. From the coaching staff to the last man,” De’Aaron Fox said after training. After another winning season, the Kings emphatically dropped their play-in game against the Pelicans, who were without star Zion Williamson.

As far as their team goes, they surprisingly waned in their strongest weapon. Their offense, which Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox power ranked 13th this season after being the best offense only a year ago. At the same time though, they showed flashes of their defensive tenacity at some points during the campaign.

Fox acknowledges that grit and ferocity on the defensive side are keys to their success. Furthermore, their offense will have to evolve and be coordinated once again since that’s their differential factor. Playing with stellar pace and connectivity, the Kings have a great roster around them. To succeed though, high attention will be given to consistency and hustle.

“We’re more than capable” -The Kings can achieve great things

It took just a few weeks for the Kings to go from the fourth seed to the ninth last year. Injuries played a major role. However, the season didn’t end in just disappointment. Defensively, the Kings showed vast improvements. A great find in that matter came with Keon Eliis. The guard displayed a 109, a strike below an elite disruptor like Anthony Edwards.

Furthermore, he can shoot the three with lightning accuracy, a trait that will bolster him to greater minutes than last year, when he averaged just 17. They have other unconscious scorers with Monk and De’Aaron Fox both sharing a spotless dynamic. Sabonis led the league in rebounding and binds everything together.

What they lacked was someone who could slow down the pace and manage peril. Enter DeMar DeRozan. Apart from having a deep arsenal, DeRozan joins Fox as one of the most productive clutch scorers over the past few seasons. His mid-range mastery adds another layer to the already successful Sacramento offense.

But the need of the hour is tenacity. In terms of defense, Mike Brown believes every player on the roster has the capabilities to defend at a high level. Post All-Star break, the unit truly made an effort to enhance their defense. They produced a 110 defensive rating in 28 games, while also improving their offensive rebounding.

“We’re more than capable. And, again, for people to say, ‘Hey, just concentrate on offense.’ But our guys are capable defenders, too,” Brown said in March.

Players such as Keegan Murray, and Kevin Huerter will enjoy greater spacing with DeRozan operating on the inside alongside Sabonis. Furthermore, they have added lengthy defenders such as Jalen McDaniels and Ellis to polish their two-way prowess. If aligned well, this team can make great strides in a packed Western Conference.

But it will require companionship and a collaborative effort to bring out the best on both sides of the floor.