Just because a player isn’t in the starting five, doesn’t mean that they can’t have a profound impact on the game. Kings guard and resident sixth man Darren Collison is Exhibit A.
In his second season in Sacramento, Collison had a standout campaign. The former UCLA Bruin averaged 14 points and 4.3 assists per contest in 74 games, 59 of which he came off of the bench.
On top of that, DC recorded career-high shooting percentages, knocking down 48.6 percent of his field goals and 40.1 percent from three-point range.
Consistency was also a strength for the former first-round draft selection, as Collison logged 48 games this season where he scored 10 or more points off of the bench. His 13.7 points and 4.2 assists per game off the bench also ranked fourth and fifth in the Association, respectively.
For his efforts, Darren also received a second-place vote for the 2015-16 Sixth Man of the Year award.
Key Moment
Though he may be in a reserve role during most games, Collison has demonstrated the ability to take over games with his scoring ability.
One of the most notable instances of this came during the emotional and thrilling game that was the final Kings home game in Sleep Train Arena history.
DC7 scored 10 of Sacramento’s final 16 points, including this clutch bucket that would help the Kings stave off a late comeback attempt by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Not to mention Collison’s lightning-speed quickness with the ball, which would often put defenders on the wrong end of a highlight reel.
Quotables
Collison regarding his role as either a starter or reserve: “I just want to win. All that stuff doesn’t really matter to me. I’m going to give 110 percent regardless.” (Via Sacramento Bee)
Kings point guard Rajon Rondo on playing alongside Collison: “He’s a fast, up-tempo point guard who gets out and runs, plays defense; we can switch off who’s checking who, and I think we play well off each other.” (Via Sacramento Bee)
Kings center DeMarcus Cousins on playing with Darren: “He’s probably been our most consistent player. His energy off the bench is keeping us in a lot of games." (Via Sacramento Bee)
Looking Forward
Darren has proven himself to be a valuable commodity for Sactown as he can both lead the second unit as a scorer and playmaker, while also playing along starting players in crunch-time situations.
Before being sidelined with an injury in the 2014-15 season, DC was averaging a career-high 16.1 points per game while starting all 45 games he played.
Regardless of which role he is asked to play next season – starter or sixth man – Collison will certainly continue to contribute.
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