SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As he mapped out plans for training camp, Kings coach Mike Brown settled on a theme — mountain climbing — and invited Ed Viesturs to speak to his team before practices begin.
Viesturs is known for summiting the world’s 14 highest peaks without the aid of supplemental oxygen.
“Our theme over here is climbing together,” Brown said Monday on the eve of training camp. “As you climb higher, from the summer work to preseason to the regular season to the playoffs, as you climb higher the struggle gets harder.”
The Kings have made strides up the NBA mountain since Brown was hired to replace Luke Walton in 2022.
They ended the longest playoff drought in league history during Brown’s first season and have won 40 or more games in consecutive seasons for the first time in nearly two decades.
The Kings took another big step in the offseason when they acquired six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan as part of a three-team trade.
DeRozan will be a focal point of a Sacramento offense that has ranked among the top 10 in scoring each of the past two seasons.
Just don’t expect to see him scaling nearby mountains any time soon.
“I wouldn’t climb a mountain but that’s why we have metaphors and all that,” DeRozan joked. “Tomorrow is us climbing that mountain. I’m looking forward to it.”
Expectations are definitely high for the Kings after a busy offseason when they traded for DeRozan, re-signed Malik Monk and drafted Devin Carter with the 13th overall pick. Carter underwent shoulder surgery and isn’t expected to be cleared to play until January.
Kings general manager Monte McNair is excited about the possibilities.
“Anytime you add a six-time All-Star to what you already have, expectations go up,” McNair said. “I think we have a chance to be one of the best offenses in the league. It’s going to be harder for teams to guard us, especially down the stretch of games.”
While DeRozan is expected to have a significant impact on both ends of the floor, Brown plans to keep his system mostly the same.
“He’ll fit in fine, with a few adjustments from us to make sure we try to put him in spots that will enhance or showcase his abilities,” Brown said. “I’m a firm believer in belief. You got a guy like DeMar walking through that door, it adds to the belief of everybody.
“We just have to be cautious that we don’t change too much or add too much because we already have a way that we like to play. We feel that DeMar can complement that way very easy with a few tweaks.”
DeRozan, who was outspoken in his desire to join the Kings, is open to whatever role Brown has laid out for him.
“You’ve seen it over the last couple of years what the team is able to do, the level that they brought it at,” DeRozan said. “Outside of injuries last year, they (were) a top team. The sky’s the limit. That was one thing that was an appealing thing to me to even want to come here, is me knowing how incredible this team already was, how well-coached they were. As a competitor, you want to be a part of that.”
Other than trying to find a house in the area, it hasn’t taken DeRoza much to get acclimated to his new surroundings. He and center Domantas Sabonis got together to work out privately for a few weeks in Southern California, and DeRozan was at the center stage for much of Media Day.
“He plays at his pace but it’s effective,” Sabonis said. “I feel like we’re all going to learn a lot just by being around him. We’re a scoring offense and he can score at every level. He’s just going to fit in easy.”
Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox said DeRozan’s presence on the floor will likely open things up for his teammates.
“He gives us a whole (new) dynamic,” Fox said. “He’s one of the best guys in the league. He gets guys open shots.”
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