Bleacher Report Ranks Kings’ De’Aaron Fox as the 8th-Best NBA Guard
The NBA is a talented league, and ranking players is one of the most challenging tasks one can be given. The skill of some NBA players is unearthly, especially at the guard position, making it nearly impossible to rank ultra-talented players ahead of their ultra-talented peers.
Bleacher Report gave it their best shot, attempting to predict the top 30 guards in the NBA for the 2023-24 season.
Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox found himself a worthy placement of 8th on this list.
He stands behind Dallas Mavericks' Luka Dončić, Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker, Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard, Minnesota Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards, and Denver Nuggets' Jamal Murray.
De'Aaron Fox is coming off a career-best season, averaging 25.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on his way to his first All-Star appearance and earning All-NBA 3rd Team honors.
Bleacher Report gave their reasoning for Fox's high ranking:
"De'Aaron Fox just authored the best season of his career, and the scary thing is he should be even better during the 2023-24 campaign. Fox mastered scoring inside the three-point line, shooting 58.4 percent on twos. His pull-up jumper was devastating against defenders who played off him out of respect for his incredible speed. His scoring and playmaking were big reasons for the Kings posting the best offensive rating in the NBA."
While Fox has proven himself to be one of the top guards in the league year after year, he finally made the All-NBA caliber leap that Kings fans have been waiting for. Or, at least, he finally got the recognition due to Sacramento's winning season.
Fox has one of the most complete play-styles in the NBA, as it seems like the 25-year-old guard can do it all, but Bleacher Report gives their take on his most prominent weakness:
"Fox's biggest offensive weakness is three-point shooting, but there's reason to believe he'll improve his 32.4 percent rate from last season. After all, he made 21 threes (33.3 percent) against the Warriors in seven playoff games, and he played about half of that series with a broken finger on his shooting hand."
Assuming De'Aaron Fox continues to improve his jump shot, he should propel himself to the top-five of this list. Fox shot a career-high in field goal percentage and had the second-best three-point percentage of his career in the 2022-23 season. If a long-range jump shot is the only thing holding him back, then the Kings are in good hands.
While Fox's placement on the list is reasonable, it is surprising to see him above Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell, coming off an All-NBA 2nd Team appearance. Mitchell, a four-time All-Star, finds himself ranked 9th on the list, as he and Fox are behind the zero-time All-Star Jamal Murray coming off an NBA championship.
Regardless of the ranking, De'Aaron Fox is poised to continue his breakout campaign as Kings fans hope his play will translate to a deep playoff run. The All-NBA duo of Fox and big man Domantas Sabonis is taking the league by storm.
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