The Sacramento Kings are about to welcome back their budding-star point guard, which will make a certain teammate’s life a whole lot easier.
In what has come as surprising news, the Sacramento Kings are expecting De’Aaron Fox to make his return from injury on Tuesday when they visit the Charlotte Hornets. Fox has missed the last 17 games after suffering a Grade-3 ankle sprain in a practice on November 11th.
The Kings have since kept themselves afloat. They have endured one of the toughest parts of their schedule and have gone 9-8 since the loss of their starting point guard. They currently find themselves as the 7th seed in the Western Conference standings and are playing a handful of games against beatable teams.
A Sacramento Kings playoff spot is ripe for the taking. But things are certainly subject to change upon Fox’s return.
How Will Fox Change Things?
The Kings are at the bottom of the league in pace after finishing in the top 5 last season, an area that Fox’s presence will certainly improve. The slowing of the offense has been attributed to the focus on the defensive end, where the Kings are excelling for the first time in years. This is thanks in large part to the increased court time for backup point guard Cory Joseph, whose minutes will certainly regress in the coming games.
But one of the biggest changes when Fox returns will come to the duties and play style of his backcourt mate Buddy Hield. While some of the burden has fallen on Bogdan Bogdanovic, Hield has taken the reigns as the Sacramento’s playmaker and go-to option.
The results have been mixed. Hield is always the best shooter on the floor for the Kings despite the dip in accuracy that he’s seen this season. He has been Sacramento’s leading scorer in 7 of their last 11 games and set his career-high in points against Boston during that stretch.
Unfortunately, Hield lacks elite decision-making abilities, especially in late-game situations. He often dribbles into trouble, makes careless passes, and is known to take the occasional errant shot. His difficulties in the late going have been masked by the Kings’ ability to succeed in multiple tight contests, creating a narrative that easily could have gone the other way.
A Different Game For Buddy Hield
With Fox returning to the lineup, Hield will no longer be forced to create. He will be able to roam freely off the ball and have more catch and shoot opportunities, which is when he is at his best. He will have more open looks with the defense respecting Fox’s speed and basket-attacking abilities, something that will factor in the likely increase in Hield’s shooting percentage.
Fox also has a history of clutch moments in his short career, and the Kings know that they can depend on his decision making in the late going. He will once again become Sacramento’s primary ball-handler throughout the game, taking a load off of Hield’s shoulders.
While it is unclear whether or not Fox will be in the starting lineup when he returns, he will certainly be on the floor should the Kings be in tight games over the next week.
Tuesday’s game against the Hornets beings at 4:00PM PT.