Season Review: De’Aaron Fox

“I think it was something out of a movie. Just with my life coming together like that,” De’Aaron Fox said at his exit interviews following the first postseason appearance of his career. “I definitely think that year twenty-five for me is probably the best year that I’ve had in my life and I want to keep this feeling going.”

Fox turned 25 around the 30 game mark in his sixth NBA season. Throughout the year, he got married and had a baby while simultaneously reaching a new level of professional success that included being named to his first All-Star and All-NBA teams, as well as winning the first ever Clutch Player of the Year Award. Not only was he thriving as an individual but, for what felt like the first time in his career, it was leading to wins.

Coach Mike Brown played a large part in Fox’s continued growth and development, as did Assistant Coach Luke Loucks. Sacramento’s locker room was more talented and cohesive than it had ever been in Fox’s tenure with the likes of Domantas Sabonis, Harrison Barnes, college-teammate Malik Monk, Kevin Huerter, rookie Keegan Murray and Davion Mitchell.

With those improved surroundings, Fox shined. He averaged a career-high 25.0 points, 6.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game and was one of just seven players to tally at least 25 points and six assists a night. Luka Doncic, Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Trae Young, and Ja Morant were the others. The most notable jump in Fox’s game lies in his efficiency numbers.

Of all the tremendous scorers listed above, Fox’s 51.2 percent from the field was the best conversion rate among them with LeBron James’s 50.0 percent ranking second. The spacing and playmaking that he was surrounded by opened up the floor to capitalize his elite driving ability.

According to NBA Stats, Fox converted 76.5 percent of his attempts in the restricted area. Of the 142 players who attempted three or more shots in the restricted area per game, Fox ranked 11th with ten big men in front of him. He shot better in the restricted area than Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Stephen Curry, whose 72.9 percent ranked 30th, was the second point-guard listed.

Fox’s otherworldly speed and handle allow him to get to the rim at will. Earlier in the season, Fox acknowledged that he felt like he could get pretty much any shot he wanted. Clearly, rim attempts were highly valued. Looking beyond the burst, his deceleration and body control mid-air is phenomenal and factored into his conversion rate.

The mid-range game in the NBA is not dying, and Fox is proof. His 47 percent from the mid-range, per Cleaning the Glass, was the threat needed to force opposing defenses to play him tighter in that area and make blow-bys that much easier for the fastest player in the association. His floater game became among the league-best alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Three-point shooting was still inconsistent for the Kentucky alum, but progress was apparent. His countless hours of offseason work with Luke Loucks that continued as the season did lead to a career-best from beyond the arc (32.4 percent on five attempts per game) and the free-throw line (78.0 percent on six attempts per game).

When asked about what he plans to prioritize improving this offseason, you can guess what he mentioned. “For me, it’s obviously always going to remain the same. Be a more consistent shooter from the three, from the free throw line,” Fox said at his exit interview. “Shooting always, I feel like for myself, will always be the top thing. Unless I start just shooting like Steph, but that will always be the top thing for me going into every offseason, I think.”

He did convert 35 percent of his threes attempted in fourth quarters. Fox tended to just do everything with more force and somehow more efficiency in the closing moments of games. Per NBA Stats, Fox averaged the most clutch field goal attempts per game and converted at a 52.9 percent rate.

Fox scored 15 or more fourth quarter points on nine occasions. There was the 22 point quarter in Utah that saved the game and included a game-winning layup to secure the win. He scored 15 points in Chicago with the final shot being a buzzer-beating three off the dribble where he let the league know how nice he really is. His nine points during overtime in Orlando was capped off with a bold attempt from the logo that he downed as time expired.

If the Sacramento Kings were in a close game and De’Aaron Fox was active, everyone on the roster and the coaching staff trusted Fox to create and make tough looks as needed.

Having that sort of closer is crucial to finding success in the NBA and Fox was well deserving of the inaugural Jerry West Clutch Player of the Year Award. He will have to try and replicate that success moving forward but there’s obvious reason for optimism.

Playing in his first playoff appearance since being drafted fifth in the 2017 Draft, Fox performed. He scored 38 points in two of the first four matchups with the Golden State Warriors but unfortunately fractured his left index finger with six and a half minutes remaining in game four.

Fox downplayed the effect it had on his performance, but his production took a noticeable hit following that moment and the correlation is probably more than a coincidence. His season ended with a disappointing 16-point on 5/19 showing in game seven.

Now he knows what the postseason looks and feels like. The physicality is turned up a notch and the referees let guys play more. Defenses are going to be constantly throwing different looks his way to keep him guessing and uncomfortable. He can alter his workouts and mindset as he sees need for himself and his team.

The 25-year-old is also continuing to grow as a leader. He was elected as a member of Sacramento’s leadership council and was challenged by Coach Brown and others to be a more active leader for his teammates. It doesn’t always have to be with words, and Fox is someone who more often leads by example.

You saw that last season, but he can continue to develop from here. The aforementioned three-point shooting will always be emphasized. His defensive improvements were apparent, but he could still find more consistency on that end of the floor. Coach Brown also said during the season that if he can find a way to get Fourth Quarter Fox for the entire game, that he could see the star point guard take his game up another level and be in conversations revolving around who the current elite players are.

Sacramento has their point guard of the current and future already on their roster coming off the best season of his career. Year twenty-five may have been the best year of De’Aaron Fox’s life for a multitude of reasons on and off the court, but who’s to say it can’t go up from here?