DeMar DeRozan’s Sacramento Kings aim to get nearer to clinching a playoff position as they face off against the Dallas Mavericks in Wednesday’s Western Conference play-in tournament. This potential return to the playoffs will be his eighth such appearance across his 16-season-long career.
What has been DeMar DeRozan’s Performance Like in His Initial 7 Playoff Games?
The Kings concluded their initial campaign with DeRozan at the ninth position in the Western Conference standings (40 wins and 42 losses). To clinch the last spot in the playoffs from the conference, they have to overcome the 10th-ranked Mavericks (39 victories and 43 defeats) followed by defeating the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies (48 wins and 34 losses).
DeRozan hasn’t experienced much playoff success, holding a 25-38 record through 63 outings with the Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls.
The player, who has been selected as an All-Star six times, faced early round eliminations in four out of his seven playoff appearances (in 2014, 2015, 2019, and 2022). Moreover, he experienced complete shutouts leading to elimination on three occasions: once versus the Washington Wizards in 2015, and twice against the Cleveland Cavaliers in both 2017 and 2018.
DeRozan achieved his most significant successes with Toronto, advancing to at least the Eastern Conference semifinals every year from 2016 to 2018. This period culminated in his sole trip to the conference finals in 2016, though they were defeated 4-2 by Cleveland.
The teams led by this three-time All-NBA selection famously found themselves unable to get past Cleveland’s star player LeBron James during their time with the Raptors across three consecutive years. Since 2019, DeRozan has failed to progress further than the first round in the playoffs, having missed out on the postseason for four of his last five campaigns.
DeRozan’s Playoff Stats
Over the course of 63 playoff matches, DeRozon has posted averages of 21.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 three-point shots made per contest. His shooting percentages stand at 41.8% from the field and 21.4% from beyond the arc.
His shot from mid-range and his style focused heavily on isolations haven’t shown to lead him towards winning championships. Despite this, the Kings’ star player has earned himself a reputation as one of the league’s top performers under pressure in recent seasons and remains an offensive danger in his sixteenth year.
DeMar DeRozan likens the Kings’ play-in matchup against the Mavericks to a Game 7 situation.
Before Wednesday’s play-in game against Dallas, DeRozan seemed focused. The experienced shooter equated it to a deciding seventh game, emphasizing their must-win mentality.
“I mean, it basically comes down to winning or leaving,” DeRozan said.
said
It’s simply another Game 7. In this game, it’s all about winning or ending your season. So, the team with the strongest desire will come out on top.
The Kings
swept
Their head-to-head record against the Mavericks stands at 3-0 this season, which looks promising for their prospects of moving forward. It’s worth noting, though, that these previous matchups did not include Dallas’ star player, Anthony Davis.
Over 77 regular-season games, DeRozan averaged 22.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.1 3-pointers per game while shooting 47.7% from the field and 32.8% from 3-point range.
