Summer League Report Card: De’Aaron Fox

With the Sacramento Kings’ summer league campaign officially over, we here at A Royal Pain will give individual grades to the players on the team. This article will be analyzing Swipa the Fox!

The Player

With the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings selected De’Aaron Fox, a point guard out of Kentucky. It was a pick that was highly anticipated from the get-go and man were fans ecstatic.

Fox was regarded as the fastest player in his draft class, combined with his quick and lengthy arms that were beneficial both offensively and defensively. Also, the Kings were in need of their point guard for their future, which hopefully they received in Fox.

The Numbers

Throughout his four games in the summer league, Fox impressed as he averaged 11.8 points, 2.3 assists and 3 rebounds per game, all while playing 21 minutes per game. More key stats are that he shot 44.4% from the field and only turned the ball over 2.5 times per game.

De’Aaron most definitely has numerous skills to work on, such as his three-point shooting and free throw shooting. But with plenty of practice and mentoring, he should find his rhythm soon. He shot the three-ball at only 12.5% but keep in mind he doesn’t take many threes, to begin with. His free throw percentage was low at 64%, but his shot is smooth so I say he will fix that in no time.

Intangibles

We know that Fox can and will contribute on the floor, but there is one huge aspect that cannot be measured. That stat is leadership.

When De’Aaron was mic’d up for his first summer league game against the Phoenix Suns, fans got to hear what he was telling his teammates. He showed he has leadership traits and to find that in a rookie is rare. If it wasn’t for his ankle injury, we would’ve seen more of De’Aaron’s skills shine on the court.

Not to forget, Fox will be mentored by George Hill, a perfect veteran to guide Fox through his beginning seasons.

Next: Sacramento Kings 2017 NBA Draft grades

The Kings and their fans are extremely lucky to have De’Aaron and here is my summer league grade for him!