Kings' De'Aaron Fox Leads NBA in Key Defensive Stat

Sacramento Kings star point guard De'Aaron Fox has taken his defensive game to the next level.

Oct 28, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) dribbles the ball up the court against the Portland Trail Blazers during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings have gotten off to an average start in the 2024-25 NBA season with a 5-4 record through nine games, but winning five of their last seven to build some momentum.

Sacramento has struggled immensely in some areas, like being last in the NBA in three-pointers made per game (10.2), despite having a few sharpshooters in their lineup. On the other hand, the Kings have excelled in other areas, like surprisingly leading the NBA in free-throw percentage (84.5%) and being seventh in points per game (116.4) despite their shooting woes.

The Kings have been led by star point guard De'Aaron Fox offensively, averaging 24,6 points and 4.6 assists per game, but the All-Star point guard has taken his game to the next level defensively.

Fox led the NBA in steals per game (2.0) last season and is up to 1.9 per game early into the new year, but he surprisingly is leading the league in another stat.

De'Aaron Fox leads the NBA in defensive field goal percentage (34.5%), giving his opponents a very tough time.

Best Defensive Field Goal Percentage (DFG%) So Far In The 2024 NBA Regular Season (Min. 100 Total DFGA) :

1. De’Aaron Fox — 34.5%
2. Jeremy Sochan — 35.5%
3. Royce O’Neale — 36.2%
4. Cade Cunningham — 36.9%
5. Draymond Green — 38.7%
5. LeBron James… https://t.co/rdc8hZbs9b pic.twitter.com/vssU5Y7x0i

— Stat Defender (@statdefender) November 9, 2024

Fox has been known as a quick and talented point guard throughout his career, but his defense usually goes unnoticed.

When Sacramento added six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan in the offseason, many questioned what the Kings' plan was on defense, but they seem to have found their answer. The emergence of Keon Ellis and Keegan Murray as defensive specialists has helped tremendously, but Fox's explosion on that side of the ball is a game-changer for the Kings.

If the Kings want to compete for a championship, they need to be elite on both sides of the ball, and Fox is doing all he can to get them there.

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