NBA Draft Prospects: Top 5 Point Guards
3. De'Aaron Fox, Kentucky Wildcats
De'Aaron Fox's one year with the Kentucky Wildcats was a tale of two seasons. During the 27-game regular season, the freshman averaged 15.5 points with 5.0 assists per game on 46% shooting, taking a backseat to fellow guard Malik Monk. However, once the NCAA tournament season began, Fox became the key to the Wildcats' offense, and played a huge role in their deep run.
During the seven games in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, Fox averaged 21.6 points per game while posting a 62.4% true shooting percentage. His 39-point domination of Lonzo Ball and the UCLA Bruins in the Sweet Sixteen was one of the most memorable performances of the Big Dance.
Standing at 6'4", Fox has the size teams are looking for from their point guard. His height and length, in combination with his quickness and leaping ability, make him one of the toughest of the incoming rookie crop to defend. Using that athleticism, Fox routinely found his way into the lane and was able to finish at a high rate, making 64.2% of his shots at the rim, per Hoop-Math.com. When opposing defenses collapsed on his drive, Fox had the awareness and vision to find the open man, dishing out 6.2 assists per 40 minutes, while reaching double-digit dimes four times.
For all of his ability to create his own shot, Fox had trouble connecting on some of them -- he sank only 17 of his 69 three-point attempts, for an embarrassingly low 24.6%. By dropping only 32.8% of his jumpers overall, opponents started backing off in order protect the paint, almost begging Fox to pull up. If the point guard is ever able to find a consistent jumper, he has the scoring talent to catapult to the head of the 2017 draft class.
Most mock drafts have him going in the 3-5 pick range, behind Fultz and Ball. While the Philadelphia 76ers at three would be an intriguing landing place for Fox, the Sacramento Kings at pick five seems to make too much sense. The Kings need an infusion of top-tier scoring talent who can help bring the best out of promising shooter Buddy Hield and former Wildcats Skal Labissiere and Willie Cauley-Stein.
