The Sacramento Kings earned only one victory this week, but it was thanks to a big shot from De’Aaron Fox. Was it enough to put him atop this week’s Rookie Roundup?
The tanking continued this week for the Sacramento Kings with three not-totally-ugly losses against superior opponents and a fun overtime win versus the Brooklyn Nets. There were lots of opportunities for the Sacramento rookie quartet to shine. How did everybody do this week? Find out in this week’s Rookie Roundup!
(As always, the Rookie Roundup defines the week as Sunday to Saturday. As such, the game against the Knicks on March 4 does not feature in the weekly totals, and the performances will factor into next week’s column.)
De’Aaron Fox
Weekly Line: 17.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.8 stls, 0.8 blks, 49.1% FG, 41.7% 3PT, 100.0% FT
Season to date: 11.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.0 stls, 0.3 blks, 41.7% FG, 33.6% 3PT, 74.1% FT
Look at those shooting numbers for this week, guys. I’m officially no longer worried about De’Aaron Fox‘s shot. Most importantly, He doesn’t seem overly concerned about it. I’d still like to see the assist totals go up as his career moves forward, but it’s hard to complain. The primary concern on draft day appears to have improved significantly.
Related Story: De'Aaron Fox's mid-season report card
What puts him on top of the Rookie Roundup this week is his continuous ability to step up in crunch time. In the game against the Nets, he showed what he could do with his back to the wall with a game-tying runner to send the game to overtime. With games like that, Fox should be a big part of the Kings rebuild plan going forward.
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Weekly Line: 15.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.0 stls, 0.3 blks, 44.4% FG, 42.1% 3PT, 100.0% FT
Season to date: 11.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.0 stls, 0.3 blks, 46.2% FG, 40.5% 3PT, 85.7% FT
Another solid week for Bogdan Bogdanovic. As his rookie season comes nearer to the finish line, it’s hard not to get excited about Bogi. He could be massive for the Kings over the next couple of years, primarily if players like Fox develop into potential stars. He has remained consistent all season and has proven he isn’t afraid to shoot (and if you made 40% of your threes, you wouldn’t be either). His season shooting numbers are also excellent to see. The 2016 draft night trade with the Suns is increasingly looking like a win for Sacramento.
Frank Mason
Weekly Line: 7.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.8 stls, 0.5 blks, 33.3% FG, 40.0% 3PT, 100.0% FT
Season to date: 7.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.7 stls, 0.2 blks, 38.0% FG, 40.7% 3PT, 78.6% FT
Frank Mason had a decent week relative to his role. His shooting numbers are what sunk him, though. However, I do want to highlight his under-the-radar defensive abilities, averaging almost two steals a game this week (including four against the Jazz on Saturday). He has been a significant presence off the bench when he is healthy. I’d also like to point out that this now makes the third rookie who shot over 40% from beyond the arc this week. Teams need to have perimeter weapons to be successful in the modern NBA. If the Kings develop their rookies correctly, they may have many to choose from soon.
Justin Jackson
Weekly Line: 5.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.3 stls, 0.3 blks, 50.0% FG, 33.3% 3PT, 75.0% FT
Season to date: 5.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.5 stls, 0.2 blks, 42.9% FG, 29.8% 3PT, 66.7%
Justin Jackson again had a week where he didn’t make much impact on the stat sheets. Part of it comes down to the fact that he just isn’t a starting-caliber small forward at this point in this career. As much as I want to see him continue to take advantage of his opportunity, you have to wonder if he is better suited as a steady scorer off the bench right now.