DeRozan Predicts Kings Will Reach Western Conference Finals in New Season; Team’s Last Similar Achievement Was Years Ago

September 12 news, in the new season, DeMar DeRozan will be playing for the Sacramento Kings, and he has high hopes for his new team.

On Wednesday, during an appearance on the show “First Take,” DeRozan made a bold prediction for the upcoming NBA season, stating that the Sacramento Kings will make it to the Western Conference Finals.

DeRozan said, “I look forward to playing every night and facing challenges every night. I get to play with players like De’Aaron Fox and Sabonis every day, and everyone knows how well they performed last season.”

While DeRozan could have predicted his team would reach the NBA Finals, making it to the Western Conference Finals still represents significant progress.

After all, the Kings haven’t won a playoff series since the 2003-04 season, and their last appearance in the Western Conference Finals was in 2002. They haven’t won a championship since the 1950-51 season when they were the Rochester Royals.

Sacramento is currently in the midst of two consecutive winning seasons, and with the addition of DeRozan, expectations are high heading into the 2024-25 season. He provides the team with a scoring option in crucial moments, and he has averaged over 20 points per game in each of the past 11 seasons. Combined with Fox’s playmaking from the perimeter and Domantas Sabonis’ advantages in the paint, the Kings pose a threat to other teams in the Western Conference.

However, the Western Conference is exceptionally competitive, which will challenge their ability to reach the stage DeRozan envisions.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Dallas Mavericks are all realistic contenders, while the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors are playoff threats with star players.

Adding to this, potential improvements by teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans mean that achieving the aforementioned goal will not be easy for the Kings.