De’Aaron Fox is the centerpiece of the Sacramento Kings. He is doing well leading them this season, but there are a few things he can improve on.
The Sacramento Kings and De’Aaron Fox have both had rocky seasons so far. Fox missed nearly four weeks with an ankle sprain in November. He then came back in December against the Charlotte Hornets and didn’t seem to skip a beat, scoring 19 points and dishing out 8 assists.
Four games later, Fox was out yet again after apparently tweaking his back on defense. Meanwhile, the Kings found themselves in the middle of an eight-game losing streak after a promising month of November.
Despite the injuries and team struggles, Fox still continues to show star potential. There are still areas on which he can improve, however. Here are a few:
Free Throw Shooting
Fox has been struggling at the free-throw line this season, shooting around 70%, the lowest of his career. His struggles from the charity stripe were evident in the comeback attempt against the Rockets on December 23rd when he shot just 4 for 9 in an eventual loss. The good news is that there is still time to fix his percentages, and Fox did say in the interview after the win against the Warriors, that it is all about “practicing shooting more free throws.”
Three-Point Shooting
After coming off an impressive year in which Fox shot the 3-pointer at a 37% clip, he looked for the trend to continue in his third NBA season. But so far, Fox has regressed and is shooting around 32% on the year. He has been hesitant to pull up from beyond the arc during the last handful of games. He instead chooses to pass or penetrate, both of which are good options. But he can expand his game even further by getting his three-point numbers up.
Assist to Turnover Ratio
The assists from last season have dipped when looking at Fox’s averages, while the turnover numbers have risen. One reason for the dip could be the amount of isolation ball that Sacramento has been playing so far this year. The Kings’ offense has to start moving the ball again, and a smart and crafty De’Aaron Fox can help bring this offense to the level it can ultimately be.
Final Thoughts
Fox and the Kings still have over 40 games to right the ship and try to improve. If Fox wants to take the next step to become an All-Star, then he needs to improve in the above areas. He has already shown that his speed is his weapon, but he needs to expand his game to be a threat in other areas as well.