Doug Christie Praises DeMar DeRozan’s Effort — Why It Matters for the Kings

Sacramento Kings veteran turned heads with his effort against the Miami Heat.

Nov 19, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) dribbles down the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Paycom Center. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat were on the second night of a back-to-back after an extremely tight loss in and it still felt like the Sacramento Kings wouldn’t stand a chance. The Heat have the fastest pace in the league and have been one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, not to mention they have only lost two games at home. 

Whether it was tired legs or the fact that Miami was without Davion Mitchell and Tyler Herro, the Kings jumped on Miami early and never looked back. Zach LaVine did the heavy lifting with 29 points in the first half and 42 for the game, but Doug Christie seemed much more excited to talk about DeMar DeRozan’s hustle play.

“The winning play of the game, in my opinion was DeMar diving on the floor,” Christie said after the game.

I had the thought while watching the game that DeRozan seems to harness some of the fire and competitiveness from the second unit, and Saturday night was an example of him making a statement. 

The more defensive-minded Kings still had some influence as Keon Ellis was all over Jahmir Young to create the loose ball, but it was DeMar who came up with it. DeRozan diving on the court for a loose ball means so much more than the two points that it created on the other end, especially as one of the oldest players on the roster. 

Defensive effort hasn’t been the Kings’ strength this season, which is exactly why they need this from their veterans. Christie went on to talk about what that kind of effort from DeMar means to the team. 

“They love him like that and when he sets a tone that way, it brings up everyone’s spirit, everyone’s mindset,” Christie said.

Why Plays Like This From Veterans Matter

DeRozan is heading toward the twilight of his career and is the NBA’s 24th leading scorer of all time. DeRozan will almost certainly end up in the top 20 by the end of the season, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him show some caution when it comes to diving for loose balls. A player of his stature setting an example like that can be massive for young players looking for motivation during a rough season. 

It’s mostly a foregone conclusion that the Kings will not be participating in the postseason, and I can’t blame anyone for thinking about lottery odds when the Kings do actually win games. Given that, the goal is still competitive basketball for Christie, and getting buy-in from vets like DeRozan is vital with how challenging this season will be for the Kings. 

Teammates supporting teammates 🤝

After DeMar DeRozan’s hard fall last night, the ENTIRE Kings bench was there to pick him up! pic.twitter.com/abFZ8hBXdz

— NBA (@NBA) November 25, 2025

Going back a few games to the Kings’ last win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, after a fastbreak dunk, DeRozan took a hard fall on the baseline, and the entire bench sprang up to help him up and celebrate his effort. Those kinds of moments paint a picture of the respect that the team has for DeMar and how much his leadership means to them. 

DeRozan can and has done a lot with his words, such as calling the Kings “Keegan’s team,” and he even showed the team Christie’s defensive highlights last season to help inspire them to defend. This is who DeRozan has been throughout his career, and it’s hard to measure just how much impact that has. 

DeMar DeRozan in Champaign today for the Ayo Dosunmu jersey ceremony #BullsNation pic.twitter.com/aMshLhl3xI

— Nico Haeflinger (@NicoHaeflinger) January 7, 2022

Appreciating DeRozan in a Transition Year

I won’t try to sell you that this means that the Kings should hang on to DeRozan if there’s an opportunity to trade him, but moving the veterans should still be a priority. The younger players like Nique Clifford, Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud, Ellis, and others don’t just need playing time; they need opportunity with the ball. 

While DeRozan is taking the least amount of shots since his rookie year in Toronto, he’s still taken the second-most shots on the team this season. Even with Domantas Sabonis and Dennis Schroder sidelined, the Kings are filled with high-usage players, and that does need to change if the team plans on developing their youth (and a lottery pick next season). 

That doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy DeRozan and find silver linings while the front office works on the next chapter for the Kings’ roster. 

DeRozan chose to come to the Kings in the sign-and-trade from the Chicago Bulls, and in just one year, the team he joined looked completely different. The coach he thought he would have for his entire first season was fired midway through, De’Aaron Fox was traded for his ex-teammate in LaVine, and the front office that acquired him was gone. 

Going into his 17th year, it would have been easy for DeRozan to check out after the dismal start to the year. Instead of phoning it in, he’s still putting up great numbers and setting the right example for the future of the Kings.