With the NBA Playoffs now underway, many of the statistical champions from the regular season have officially been crowned. One of these is Sacramento Kings point guard, De’Aaron Fox. While the Kings missed the playoffs after being one of the surprises teams the year before, Fox still had a solid year individually. Many feel as if he was also snubbed from All-Star honors. Fox led the league this past season in steals per game (2.0) crowning him this year’s steals champion. As a result, many are now looking at De’Aaron Fox as one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA now and analyzing other facets of his game.
De’Aaron Fox Officially the 2023-24 Steals Champion
His Overlooked Facet of His Game
Fox is one of the quickest guards in today’s game. As a result, he is deadly on both the offensive and defensive end of the floor. Everyone already knows of his scoring prowess and his ability to be a floor general. However, this season also proved how much of a pest he is defensively. Fox is crafty enough to pick pockets and fast enough to disrupt passing lanes which adds another dimension to his game. This regular season, he recorded a defensive rating of 114, a defensive box plus/minus rating of 0.1, and a defensive win-share total of 3.2, a career-best. Fox was also tasked with guarding some of the best perimeter players in the whole league.
Some notable guards Fox held to under 10 points this past year include Kyrie Irving, Trae Young, and Jalen Brunson, who all only scored nine points when matched up with De’Aaron Fox this season. Not to mention, the Kings point guard usually had the difficult matchup of guarding guys like Steph Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and other star guards throughout the year. Considering this, it is time for peers to start respecting De’Aaron Fox as one of the best defensive guards in the NBA.
Can the Kings and De’Aaron Fox Bounce Back Next Season?
It is difficult to tell right now if the Sacramento Kings can get back into the playoff picture next season. Many expected them to be a top-five team in the Western Conference this year. However, they fell short of expectations losing to a New Orleans Pelicans team without Zion Williamson in the Play-In Tournament. The makeup of the West could look a lot different next year with teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and the Houston Rockets coming back healthy. Not to mention, the San Antonio Spurs could potentially make some noise in free agency to get Victor Wembanyama some help. With all of this in mind, De’Aaron Fox and company may have an uphill battle next year.
