The Sacramento Kings are at rock bottom.
The last-placed Western Conference team took on the second-to-last New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night and got crushed.
The veteran forward DeMar DeRozan couldn't hold back his anger at one point and was seen throwing a water bottle down, reaching a clear breaking point within the game. After the matchup, he explained the incident, which went viral on social media.
"A lot of stuff we do is self-inflicted," DeRozan said, according to the Sacramento Bee. "Us not being in the right spots, make it a chain reaction, them getting back in transition, getting easy shots, easy buckets, so (the water bottle incident) was just me wanting us to play the right way, win, lose or draw."
The Kings perform like an expensive rebuilding squad. Their record says young and inexperienced, but their payroll says built to contend. That makes the situation so much more frustrating for the players.
Four players are on a salary that exceeds $20 million this year. Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine get paid over $40 million. Even beyond the expensive deals, the Kings have a quality role player in Malik Monk and a former MVP in Russell Westbrook. Still, they can't seem to get out of their own way.
Monday's loss to the 15-40 Pelicans was the 13th in a row for the Kings. They dropped to 12-43 and are well out of the Play-In picture. Leading up to the trade deadline, several members of the team, including DeRozan, were rumored to be potential trade chips. Nothing materialized outside of the Keon Ellis and Dario Saric for DeAndre Hunter deal.
As DeRozan's frustration is clear as day, it begs the question of whether the Kings should work to send him to the buyout market or not. Being 36 and missing the playoffs again isn't an ideal spot for the veteran forward. However, reports have suggested that the Kings do not intend to move on from DeRozan this season.
After the disappointing loss in New Orleans, the Kings will return to the court on Wednesday night to face the Utah Jazz on the road. Perhaps facing a team that seems to be openly tanking is just what the Kings need before they hit the All-Star break. DeRozan and his team will see if they can bounce back with a 9 PM ET tip.
Newsweek