A Royal Prospect: De’Aaron Fox
By Kyle Robert
A Royal Pain gives its analysis on NBA prospect De’Aaron Fox and whether he would be a great addition to the Sacramento Kings.
De’Aaron Fox, the point guard out of the University of Kentucky, seems to be a popular selection in many mock drafts. Fox clearly fits a need for the Sacramento Kings who are in need of a point guard for their future.
Coach Dave Joerger mentioned the Kings will be targeting players that can get to the hoop or can display three-point shooting with regularity. Fox fits into that first bucket and should be a player the Kings will target in June’s draft. Let’s take a look at what he does well, where he is limited, and how he fits with the team going forward.
Strengths
De’Aaron Fox excels with the ball in his hands, showing an ability to get up the floor in a flash. He can read defenses on the fly, find shooters, and attack the hoop with efficiency. Fox averaged 4.6 assists per game with 2.4 turnovers. Ideally, he can bump up the assist total at the next level and keep his 2.4 turnovers per game in the same neighborhood.
As for shooting, Fox shot 52.1% on two-point field goals in his only season in Lexington. A percentage above 52% is typically reserved for big men and elite guards in the NBA. The ability to finish at this rate around big men is a fantastic trait for guards and would be an ideal for Fox’s success at the next level.
Getting to the free-throw line with regularity is another great sign for Fox who has concerns shooting from the outside. He averaged 5.9 attempts per game shooting 73.6% from the line. Players like John Wall, Russell Westbrook, and DeMar DeRozan fit in this mold, getting to the charity stripe seven to ten times per game. Fox will need to continue this trend at the next level to be among the NBA’s elite.
Lastly, Fox’s on-ball defense will be one of his biggest strengths at the next level. He has great size at 6’3.5” with a wingspan of 6’6.5”. He, also, possesses the lateral quickness that should allow him to stay in front of elite NBA point guards. Shutting down Lonzo Ball, a top-two projected prospect in the NCAA tournament was something scouts and executives definitely took note of.
Weaknesses
The biggest issues in Fox’s game is his three-point shooting or lack thereof. He shot 24.6% on 1.9 attempts per game. Fox does understand his limitations as a shooter and avoided taking threes as much as possible last season.
Also, in drafting Fox, teams will need to structure their team in a certain way. You will need to do one of two things if you want to be a constant playoff force with him. Look to the Washington Wizards or the Oklahoma City Thunder as teams where the best player is a point guard who lacks outside shooting.
The Wizards have Bradley Beal and Otto Porter next to John Wall. Trading threes for twos is a winning proposition in the ever-evolving NBA. Shooting creates attack lanes for Wall and allows the Wizards to stay in games.
The Thunder surrounded Russell Westbrook with defensive stoppers. Andre Roberson, Steven Adams, and Victor Oladipo allow Westbrook to not exert as much energy on the defensive end. Unfortunately, in this scenario, the point guard is the offense and everything runs through him. If said point guard has a bad night, it likely means your team is cooked.
This not to say that Fox would be a poor choice for the Kings, but they must understand what they need to be a real championship contender. Ideally a system more similar to the Wizards’ setup that allows other players to handle some of the offensive burdens.
Fit
Clearly, Fox fits a gaping hole in the Sacramento Kings roster. But he will need to be surrounded with three-point shooters to take advantage of his dynamic passing skills. This will force the defense to stay at home on shooters and let Fox break down his defender. If the defense crashes on Fox, shooters should be wide open for three-point looks.
The Kings would also employ some one-to-five pick and rolls, especially with Willie Cauley-Stein. This would be lethal for opposing defenses especially with Cauley-Stein’s ability to finish above the rim. Think Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan.
Next: A Royal Prospect: Malik Monk
If Fox is the pick at number five, which I’m 100% on board with, the Kings will ideally add a shooter with their 10th overall pick. Names like Lauri Markkanen, Malik Monk or Justin Jackson could be available in this range. Any of those players would be a good complement to Fox.