The Sacramento Kings are enduring a difficult stretch in the NBA season, having lost six of their last seven games. One of the team’s leaders, DeMar DeRozan, recently reflected on their struggles and what it means for the group moving forward.
Despite their current 9-12 record, which isn’t among the league’s worst, the Kings’ performance has fallen short of expectations. Last season, they narrowly missed the playoffs, losing to the Pelicans in the play-in tournament, but showed flashes of strong potential.
In their most recent game, a 127-125 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Kings squandered a 14-point first-quarter lead. After Monday’s practice, DeRozan spoke with James Ham about the team’s tough start.
“I mean, it’s always frustrating when you lose, but I think it’s all about how you build character from this and come out of it,” DeRozan explained. “Everybody has those rough patches throughout the season at some point, and we’re just there. We’ve dealt with injuries early on, you know, when we were trying to get a rhythm and everything. It’s just how we come out of this.”
DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings goes up for a shot on Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
DeRozan remains optimistic despite Kings’ setbacks
Although the Kings aren’t in the best situation, the former Chicago Bulls star believes the team can grow from this rough patch, ultimately emerging stronger.
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“It’s frustrating losing, but there’s a lot you can learn from it. There’s a lot of character within that can be built from this, that can give you the competitive nature to come out of this even better,” DeRozan said.
Malik Monk on the Kings’ issues
Malik Monk, who started in the loss to the Spurs, didn’t hold back when assessing the team’s shortcomings. The Kings’ guard offered a bold statement about where the team has fallen short and why their record sits at 9-12.
“It can’t be unlucky when they f— wide open,” Monk said. “Excuse my language, but they just be wide open. We just have too many mental breakdowns, and I feel like we don’t rotate enough when we need to, and that’s why we’re 9-12.”
