CHICAGO -- Despite the fact that the Sacramento Kings are having a disappointing season, there's a comforting prospect in knowing that De'Aaron Fox -- who the Kings picked No. 5 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft -- is living up to expectations in his third year in the league. Of the top five picks in the 2017 Draft, only Jayson Tatum is having a more productive year than Fox. You might not know it, though, given the Kings' 16-29 record, which is third-worst in the Western Conference.
Fox is averaging career-highs in points and rebounds (19.1 points, 4.3 rebounds), to go along with 7.1 assists per game while shooting a respectable 47.1 percent from the field. Despite this, though, Fox is somewhat overlooked compared to other young players. Whether that's due to a lack of team success, or playing in the West that's loaded from top to bottom with elite guards, it's not something that Fox is too concerned about.
"That's just people's opinion, Fox said. "Obviously if you're winning games people are in the spotlight more, but I'm not worried about that right now. I'm trying to get there, trying to win games and with team success comes individual success."
There might not be a ton of team success happening in Sacramento this year, but Fox's individual success is still worth mentioning. This is the point in an NBA career where players typically make that "third-year leap," when their identity in the league begins to solidify and the training wheels are taken off. Fox's third year, though, has almost been a tale of two seasons. For about a month, Fox was sidelined missing 17 games with a sprained ankle, and for someone who possesses his kind of speed, that's a devastating injury. He came back for four games, then dealt with back spasms that forced him to leave a game just one minute into the contest, and, ultimately, miss the following game as well.
In the 13 games since returning from back spasms, though, Fox has been on an absolute tear. He's averaging 20.8 points, 8.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds and two steals per game, and while it hasn't equated to team success lately, Kings coach Luke Walton acknowledges that this team doesn't go without Fox.
"It's great to have him back, because he's the guy that's the head of our snake," Walton said. "He's getting his legs under him, and for him to continue to grow in that role he has to be out there playing and succeeding and making mistakes."
De'Aaron Fox's three-year progression
| Year | PPG | APG | RPG | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2017-18 |
11.6 |
4.4 |
2.8 |
41.2 |
30.7 |
|
2018-19 |
17.3 |
7.3 |
3.8 |
45.8 |
37.1 |
|
2019-20 |
19.1 |
7.1 |
4.3 |
47.1 |
30.2 |
Coming out of college, Fox was the speedy point guard who would burn you in transition and make you pay if you played him too tight on defense. In his rookie season, he had difficulty honing that speed to a much faster-paced game, and conserving his energy when it's needed most in the fourth quarter. Now, though, Fox has learned to use his speed more strategically.
"My first year I think I was just running fast with no purpose," Fox said. "Now I feel like my game is more methodical. I use my speed in bursts instead of using it the whole time. I've just learned how to pick my spots."
This is especially true in transition. In Fox's rookie season he was a little reckless when operating in transition, going downhill too fast and then throwing up an off-balanced shot with two defenders on him. It was like he only knew one speed, and it wasn't slow...ever.
On this play from his rookie season, as soon as Fox gets mid-court he hits turbo and charges full steam ahead to the basket with no regard for the fact that there are four Suns players surrounding him. It results in a pretty poor shot selection:
Here, though, on almost the exact same play this season, when he gets the ball he's slowing down a bit more. Fox uses the defense to his advantage to get off a more balanced version of the same shot from his rookie year:
Fox is still as fast as he was his rookie year, but he's learned how to use his speed more effectively, and has cut down on barreling into defenders and putting up wacky shots. He doesn't have the strength of a Russell Westbrook to punish opponents in the paint when he's going full speed, so he's learned to work more floaters and runners into his game to account for that.
That doesn't mean that Fox hasn't pulled back on attacking the rim though. In fact, he ranks 11th in the league among guards in points in the paint per game (10.3). Over half of Fox's points come at the rim, and his 66.9 percent finishing rate in the restricted area is eighth-best in the league among guards. That's ahead of James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Westbrook.
This season hasn't been all smooth sailing for Fox though. Aside from the injuries, his 3-point shooting has been a struggle all season (30.2 percent). A season ago that was one of his greatest improvements, when he shot 37.1 percent from deep, but this season he's had difficulty connecting. Despite the fact that he only takes about three attempts per game from beyond the arc, it's still something Fox knows he needs to improve on so the game continues to open up for him.
"That's a shot I know I need to make," Fox said. "I don't really have to take a lot of them, and if I make one or two teams just have to step up one or two more inches and that just gives me a better chance to get to the rim. Obviously, I still work on my 3-point shot a lot, but I don't go into games just only worried about making 3s."
Fox's 3-point shooting is an area where he needs to improve, but he's so skilled in other facets of the game that it shouldn't be a major concern for the Kings right now. He's becoming one of the hardest guards in the league to stop in transition, and despite the fact that the Kings are playing at a snail's pace this season (98.6) compared to last season (103.8), Fox is still generating a career-high 1.042 points per possession in transition.
From year-to-year Fox continues to improve. He said the game has slowed down for him over the years as he continues to learn and grow, and it's resulted in him becoming a more efficient scorer. While the Kings are still searching for ways to finally break through and make the playoffs to end their 13-year drought, one thing they can find solace in is knowing that they've found their point guard for the future in Fox.
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January 26, 2020 at 01:18AM
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De'Aaron Fox's development is a bright spot for Kings despite Sacramento's continued struggles - CBS Sports
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