Sacramento Kings Guard Becoming Two-Way NBA Star

Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox has elevated his game on both sides of the ball.

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

Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox is known for his speed and scoring, but has quietly been growing as a defensive player throughout his eight-year NBA career.

Fox overtook Shai Gilgeous-Alexander late last season to lead the league with 2.0 steals per game but his defensive improvements went widely unrecognized. De’Aaron was left off of the All-Defensive teams even with leading the association in takeaways.

So far this season, he’s level-up on the defensive side of the ball once again.

De'Aaron Fox on defense this season

Opp FG%: 36.0% (45/125)
Opp 3P%: 29.2% (19/65)
Deflections: 4.0 (4th)
Steals: 2.0 (t-4th)

Fox ranks in the top ___ of two-way stars?
(FYI, 23.8 PTS | 5.1 AST | 4.8 REB on offense) pic.twitter.com/Ar8lXSeCH5

— Will Z. Stats (@will_zimmerle) November 7, 2024

The deflections and steals are nothing new for Fox, but his on-ball defense has been astounding to start the season.

Opponents that he’s guarding are shooting 36 percent from the field and 29.2 percent from beyond the arc, both down drastically from 49.5 and 39.7 percent from last season.

It looks like things are clicking for Fox on defense. He’s learned how to use his speed to stay in front of defenders with his chest and 6-foot-6 wingspan to not only cause havoc in the passing lanes but to defend shots as well.

We’re getting to the point of the season where we can stop saying small sample size as well. With 125 field goals and 65 three-point attempts defended, it’s a solid sample size eight games into the season.

When you combine the defensive numbers with Fox’s 23.8 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds, you get one of the most well-rounded games in the league. The Kings ask a lot of their All-Star guard, and he’s bringing it on both ends of the court.

The list of elite two-way players in the NBA is short. If Fox can continue his high level of play throughout the rest of the season, he should firmly supplant his name as one of the best two-way stars in the NBA.

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