2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 12: The Lakers keep their pick

There’s plenty to like about Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox. For starters, he plays with a certain type of aggression and competitiveness that is rare to find in college freshmen. Most notably, that trait translates on the defensive end of the floor where Fox excels at harassing opposing point guards. This season, he is averaging 2.2 steals per 40 minutes and they often come because he is simply quicker than the players that he’s defending. At 6-foot-3, Fox may not be able to guard multiple positions in the NBA at a high frequency, but his ability to lock down teams at the point of attack will make him extremely valuable on that end of the floor.

Offensively, Fox is best at using his quickness to penetrate defenses in the halfcourt or to attack in transition. He is a better finisher at the rim than his height or slight frame would suggest and he has no problem getting there against nearly any defender in college basketball. For Fox, the concerns on offense revolve entirely around his jump shot. He has made just five 3-pointers this season while attempting 2.7 per 40 minutes. Inside the arc, but away from the rim, he is shooting just 34.5 percent, per Hoop-Math. Without a jumper, Fox will be much easier to defend at the next level as NBA defenses are increasingly willing to ignore non-shooters. The hope here is that he will improve over time because the 19-year old doesn’t appear to have faulty mechanics.

Learn more about De’Aaron Fox at The Step Back.