Kings’ DeMar DeRozan’s latest record gives him case as most underrated scorer in NBA history

Billy Heyen

Kings’ DeMar DeRozan’s latest record gives him case as most underrated scorer in NBA history image

DeMar DeRozan is a certified bucket.

In fact, his legendary scoring ability has flown under the radar for so long that the Sacramento Kings' star might be the most underrated scorer in NBA history.

Consider that he just tied legends Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki in a remarkable statistic, one not even touched by Michael Jordan.

That stat: Most consecutive seasons scoring at least 20 points per game (minimum 60 games played).

The all-time leader is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, at 17. LeBron James has 15.

Then there's Bryant, Nowtizki, Karl Malone and DeRozan tied at 12 seasons in a row.

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DeRozan has averaged 22.2 points per game this season for the Kings heading into the play-in tournament.

The most remarkable part of DeRozan's scoring is that he's never embraced this modern era's 3-point shooting.

He does it more now than in his younger days, but the former USC star still cooks from the midrange.

MORE: Kings' Jonas Valanciunas is greatest play-in tournament player of all time

It's beautiful, old-school scoring at its finest.

DeRozan is a top-25 scorer in league history, just by the points. And in his health and consistency, he ranks even higher.

He may not be close to the first name that comes to mind when thinking about the league's top scorers, even in this era.

But that's exactly what DeMar DeRozan is.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle