Meet DaQuan Jeffries, the bright spot for the Sacramento Kings that few saw coming

The Sacramento Kings have a reputation as a young team, but that is not actually true. Outside of star point guard De’Aaron Fox, most of the roster is experienced veterans.

The rest of Sacramento’s starters range from 26 to 32 years old. Their primary bench players are 27, 28 and 31. That’s why it’s so surprising that an undrafted rookie is getting real minutes when it matters most.

DaQuan Jeffries logged 27 minutes before Friday’s game with the Brooklyn Nets. He scored 18 points in the bubble and missed a single shot.

Jeffries fought his way into the rotation over more experienced players like Corey Brewer and Jabari Parker, and is banging on the door for an even bigger role. If he keeps playing like he has, he could become a rare young building block for the future of the Kings.

PHYSICAL PRESENCE

The first thing that everyone notices about Jeffries is his physicality. In college he measured in at 6-foot-5 with a 7-foot wingspan and tipped the scales at 230 pounds of compact muscle. That is a bruising frame that screams NBA readiness.

“I guarantee you those guys don’t want to set that screen,” said Stockton Kings head coach Ty Ellis, who oversaw his development in the G-League this season. “I’ve seen bigs kind of wince and really don’t want to screen him because it hurts.”

Players with Jeffries’ size can fit almost anywhere on the court. His combination of quickness, length and strength gives him the ability to switch onto anyone for brief stretches. He matches the modern wing archetype perfectly. You can’t say that about any other Kings player.

“Whether it’s playing the two, three, four or five, I mean, I’ll do it,” Jeffries said in an interview this week. “I feel confident enough in myself to go out and do that in order to help the team win.”

Some of his athleticism comes naturally, but Jeffries also works overtime on his body. He says he wants a career as a nutritionist after his time in the NBA. His strict hydration and diet plan before and after games have helped him become a punishing physical presence.

MENTALITY AND VOICE

It’s nice to hear about Jeffries’ plans for the future because sometimes it can be hard to hear him at all. He is notoriously quiet and reserved. In Stockton, Ellis would occasionally designate practices where only Jeffries was allowed to talk. He wanted the 22-year-old prospect to come out of his shell and lead with his words, not just his actions.

“When I first got here, or when I first got to the league, I was pretty hesitant to speak up on anything like that,” Jeffries said. “But I feel like as time went on I spent more time with the guys and during practice I felt more comfortable.”

When he does speak his mind, it is usually to take ownership of his own mistakes or commit to doing something better.

In December, he was benched in the fourth quarter against Oklahoma City Blue. Jeffries is from Oklahoma and his family was in the crowd. He asked to speak to the coach after the game.

Ellis expected Jeffries to be angry or upset, but he wasn’t. Jeffries apologized for his performance and promised to improve. A few days later he put up 44 points against Sioux Falls.

“He’s quiet,” said Stockton play-by-play announcer Deuce Mason. “I feel like he’s a quiet guy, but there is nothing quiet about his game.”

SKILLS AND ROLE

Anthony McClish, the general manager of the Stockton Kings, brought up Jeffries’ development as a point of emphasis in January. He said Jeffries had played as a big man in college at Tulsa and the Kings were focused on transitioning him to the perimeter.

This shift has unlocked a very versatile weapon, though Jeffries still has some learning to do. A change in position comes with adjustments that aren’t easy. Foul rate was a problem for him in the G-League, but he knows that. More importantly, he knows why.

“You’re so used to putting that forearm on them, whether they drive or post you up,” Jeffries said. “But guarding quicker guards – one, two and three – you know they want to take you off the dribble.”

It’s easy to tell that Jeffries is a student of the game by the way he talks. It seems like everyone in the Kings organization agrees. The players in Stockton use an app to review game notes and film. The team can track which players open the links and how frequently. Jeffries is at the top of his class in that department.

Jeffries’ offensive role has been simple so far in the NBA. He spaces out to the corner and waits for a 3-point shot. The defense has to put a man on him or they will get burned. And if that man falls asleep, he’s flying out of the corner on a cut to the basket.

“When you see him, you think this guy is a former college big. He really can’t shoot it,” Ellis said. “Nope. He can shoot it. Most athletes have problems finishing in the paint with little floaters. Nope, not DJ. He can dunk on you or he can float you.”

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

The chances that Jeffries has gotten in the bubble for Sacramento aren’t some gift or roll of the dice. Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton has been clear about that.

“He’s earned that time.” Walton said in a news conference last week. “He has had a very productive camp. He’s done a really nice job of taking advantage of the opportunities given.”

While it’s up to Jeffries to make the most of it, all signs point to him getting more and more chances to prove himself at the highest level. His career-high of 12 minutes against the Magic could be shattered before the Kings finish their season.

Even better, the Kings have years to develop Jeffries within their system. He will be a restricted free agent in the offseason, which means Sacramento will have the right to match any offers that come his way.

“During the quarantine I put in the work. So I mean, just coming to Orlando, I felt pretty confident,” Jeffries said. “That (Magic) game, I was just, I didn’t even realize I had that many points or didn’t miss a shot until Kyle Guy told me after the game. I was just going out there and playing like I’ve been doing.”

Jeffries keeps doing what he has been doing all along, and it’s exactly what his team needs. If he does it for long enough, the Sacramento Kings could have a new and important piece of their future on their hands.