De'Aaron Fox: What The Kings Are Getting With No. 5 Pick

De'Aaron Fox has been selected by the Sacramento Kings with the fifth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. The super-athletic Kentucky point guard shined as a freshman for the Wildcats. Here’s a look at what the Kings can expect from him.

De’Aaron Fox Profile
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 170 pounds
College: Kentucky
Age: 19

Strengths

Fox is an insanely quick, athletic point guard with solid size for the position and a decent wingspan (6’6.5″). He is the fastest player in this draft and is almost certainly the quickest on the break and off the dribble. He uses that speed to get to the rim and, despite his slight frame, is an excellent finisher at the rim and in close. As a freshman he averaged 16.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals in 29.6 minutes per game.

Fox might be the best man-to-man defender in the draft. He’s so good on the ball that he can shut elite players down with ease. He wreaks havoc in passing lanes and is so quick he can beat everyone on the court to loose balls or errant passes. Fox also plays bigger than his size thanks to his long, lanky body.

The ceiling here is incredibly high, and the kid has a great, star-quality personality.

Weaknesses

Unfortunately Fox is extremely raw. He doesn’t do a lot of the things elite point guards do and his passing needs to improve. He’s more of a “basketball player” than a point guard right now. He gets into turnover ruts where he loses the ball constantly and also needs to tighten up his ball handling. He also needs to add weight to his really skinny frame.

Fox’s biggest issue is his jump shot, which is currently a mess. He shot just 47.9 percent from the field and 24.6 percent from 3-point range as a freshman. His shot is awkward and doesn’t have great rhythm to it. It needs a ton of work.

Final Analysis

Fox can be so good when he’s on, but there is a looseness to his game that he needs to tighten up. His shot has to improve, and he needs to take care of the ball more. That said, he’s going to be an elite defender who can make plays in the open floor and off the bounce. If he can work out the kinks, he could be a perennial All-Star who is really fun to watch.