De’Aaron Fox is averaging the most assists of his career at 7.6 per game. Since Feb. 3, he has had 7 games with double-digit assists three of those games coming in the last six.
The speedy point guard has always been electric in the open court, but he is beginning to add elements of his game that can elevate him to the next level. His passing is one of those things.
Following the Kings 125-105 win over the Houston Rockets, Fox said this about his assists:
“With the film and what it shows is when I’m getting in the paint defenders are turning their heads, a lot of people are watching and that just opens up for cutters and guys who are on the three-point line just being able to move and finding an open shot,” he said “Just continuing to learn how to manipulate the game with how well I think I get in the paint.”
Let’s review that manipulation, and specifically how it is benefitting two guys Buddy Hield and Richaun Holmes.
Fox To Buddy
Buddy Hield has benefitted from Fox drawing so much attention. Here are some plays where his defender completely loses track of him because Fox has the ball.
On this play Victor Oladipo is glued to Hield trying to deny him at first. Oladipo sees Fox begin to move into the paint and completely forgets about Hield, who quickly cuts to the basket. The other four Rockets players also have their eyes stuck on Fox. Fox patiently gives his defender a pump fake and leans forward for a bounce pass. Easy layup for Buddy. Nice cut by Buddy. Great read by Fox.
Oladipo again gets caught gazing at Fox while Hield slips behind him and loses him on his way to the three-point line. The three is good.
On this fast break, Fox is waiting for his teammates because the Blazers get back on transition defense. He takes his time, sees where Buddy is, waits for all the Blazers to collect to form a wall in front of him and drives directly into them. Robert Covington loses sight of Hield because he, along with his other five teammates are watching Fox. Fox shovels a pass effortlessly for the open three, which is good. Again, just an excellent read by Fox.
Here we go again. Fox sizes up the defense, begins his drive off a screen from Holmes, gets into the paint and all five Hornets defenders directly lock on to him. Meanwhile, the Hornets forget about Hield, who Fox easily finds in his spot for the wide open three.
Fox to Holmes
I love the push shot, you love the push shot, Fox loves the push shot.
Here, the big comes to help Oladipo as Fox drives to the paint, Holmes is left wide open at his favorite spot on the floor. You must have scouted this, right Rockets? Push shot good.
Coming out the pick and roll, the Blazers forget there is a roller setting up shop, again, at his favorite spot on the floor. Three Blazers defenders watch Fox as Holmes gets an easy push shot off.
Fox penetrates into the lane and no one closes out on Holmes who is standing and waiting under the basket. Easy dunk.
Same thing Fox gets into the paint, the Rockets forget where Holmes is as he patiently waits for his point guard to deliver his meal.
Fox into the paint, Holmes welcomes himself over as the Hornets watch Fox. Easy 2.
Fox is currently 12th in the league in assists. He is less than 1 assist per game behind Lebron James and Ja Morant, and tied with Ben Simmons. There’s still much for him to work on, including his three-point percentage (34 percent), free throw percentage (67 percent, yikes) and defense, but his playmaking is only improving. With him now being the franchise player it is expected he improves in those areas, but we can’t lose sight of his improvement in facilitating the offense – something that wasn’t there in his first few seasons as a pro.
Add Tyrese Haliburton’s playmaking alongside of him and there’s potential for such a dynamic backcourt that will be difficult to defend for many years to come.
Fox with the hesitation move before attacking!
Good write up Blake. I get all caught up in free throw percentages but we need him to facilitate first and the improvement is there. My hope is that the rise in his free throw percentage will spill over to the 3 point line to be better than league average
Blake, awesome pro-active breakdown on Fox as an improving facilitator!
Great write up and Fox getting better as a playmaker ! Still seems soft as a leader and defender !
This really is an excellent analysis of the gravity that Fox is creating on the court. He’s like a speedy gravitational time dilation that results in time speeding up for defenders, and slowing down for he and his teammates.
The video where literally all of the Hornets defenders are looking at Fox and moving toward him is extraordinary. I’ve complained forever that help defense outside of the paint is just a dumb way to play basketball. You routinely see defenders drifting away from shooters that hit on forty percent of their three-point attempts, in a futile effort to assist a teammate who’s man is within five feet of the paint. Stick with your assignment!
Malik Monk is ostensibly covering Hield, and breaks off to help Ball with Fox. It’s bad enough that one of the best shooters in the game is now free to wander to any of his favorite spots on the floor, but when you take into account that Monk never gets closer than three or four feet of Fox, this ordinarily dumb decision becomes galactically stupid.
The fact that Fox exerts this kind of pull even while his three-point shooting lags a bit just emphasizes how impactful he has become. The league knows what it is he does and doesn’t do well, yet remain unable to resist the sheer gravity he creates. As many have said, once he becomes even an average shooter from distance, there really won’t be any decision that a defense can make that won’t result in Fox or a teammate getting good look at the basket.
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