Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. De'Aaron Fox: By the Numbers

Looking at the two career path's of star Kentucky guards in the NBA.

With the Thunder and Kings set to square off Monday night, two Kentucky stars will square off once again. In the NBA, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has dominated De’Aaron Fox with a record of 6-1, but the new look Kings with Domantis Sabonis will be no easy task.

The two stars are very comparable players on similar career paths. Both starred at Kentucky and are one year apart in the NBA. Both guards have had solid statistical years without the winning percentages to show. Gilgeous-Alexander and Fox are both budding stars on rebuilding teams.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s numbers have received a bump recently, sitting at 23.2 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds. His performances post-injury have been incredible, featuring back-to-back 30-point offensive explosions. His fit in the Thunder offense as an off ball guard going towards will allow him to focus more on scoring as we’ve seen recently.

Fox is averaging 21.7 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds on the season. His numbers have seen a spike since the Kings acquired Sabonis. If those two stars can develop a chemistry going forward, the Kings could be a problem in the West.

Fox and Gilgeous-Alexander are both in the midst of a down year. It’s not that they’ve had bad years, but compared to last year, the efficiency is down. Both players have seen shooting percentages slip, especially from 3-point range.

Gilgeous-Alexander is shooting 43.2% which is down from 50.8% last season. Part of his shooting dip can be attributed to the focus he’s receiving on the defensive end now. He’s the only option to score on the Thunder sometimes. His 3-point percentage is alarming low at 27.5%, nearly a 14% swing from last season.

Fox is struggling from behind-the-line too, shooting 27.2%. He’s shooting a more efficient 46.5% overall and finishing well around the rim. The addition of Sabonis should take some of the offensive pressure off of him and allow him to take easier shots.

Being the focal point of two losing teams, both players have waited for their moment and are close to seeing it pay off. One more top five pick in this years draft and it’s going to be hard for the Thunder to not be competitive. For Sacramento, another star to pair wait Fox plus the progression of younger guys like Davion Mitchell could be just what the Kings need to turn things around.

Fox and Gilgeous-Alexander square-off at 7 p.m. in Oklahoma City on Monday night.


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Ross Lovelace
ROSS LOVELACE

Ross is a 2023 Oklahoma University graduate who has formerly written for the OU Daily and Prep Hoops. He now works for the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee and covers OU sports for AllSooners.com. He has been covering the Thunder since the 2019-20 season.