It seems like a while ago now that Dewayne “Judge Dedd” Dedmon demanded a trade from the Kings. The lag time between him going public with his demands and the Kings actually finding a willing trade partner was considerable. I was starting to think that the Kings wouldn’t find a taker for his contract and be stuck with him. That theory gained credibility when he was reinserted into the Kings’ rotation; that, to me, seemed like a move to keep him happy and silent.
But the trade was done, two young disappointments (Alex Len and Jabari Parker) for an older disappointment who was actually pretty good until he landed in Sacramento (Dedmon). I’m not going to touch the fact that the Kings basically ruin every free agent they sign, but the simple truth of it is, Dedmon was ruined as soon as he stepped foot on Sacramentese ground. Some blame can go his way, surely, for regressing as a shooter and becoming an absolute turnover factory, but the Kings are known player-ruiners. They ruin players all the time. Dedmon could not escape from the curse.
Whether Dedmon will actually be better in Atlanta, the place where he bloomed fully into a legit stretch five, still remains to be seen. It’s possible that he’s totally washed and will never be good again. But for now, let’s just enjoy the “dialing long-distance” celebration that he does after his three-pointers. Let’s just enjoy the deep, sensuous crevices of his forehead wrinkles. Let’s just enjoy his REVENGE GAME against the Magic. Let’s just enjoy it all.