NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 20: The Sweet Sixteen edition
By Chris Stone
Learn more about De’Aaron Fox at The Step Back."
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De'Aaron Fox
PG, Kentucky
Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox is a shifty, lightning bug of a point guard with a flaw that endangers his potential to be an offensive threat in the NBA. We can start with the question mark because it shapes a lot of what Fox does on the court. The 6-foot-3 guard struggles mightily to shoot the ball. He’s made just 23.4 percent of his 3-point attempts this season, which allows defenders to go under ball screens. Fox doesn’t have the off the dribble shooting to punish them in the mid-range for doing so either. He’s averaging just 0.62 points per possession (25th percentile) on off the dribble jumpers this season, per Synergy Sports. If Fox doesn’t learn to shoot more consistently — and his form isn’t horrible — it will significantly limit his offensive game that relies heavily on darting to the basket off of screens or in isolation.
Defensively, Fox should ultimately be excellent handling the point of attack. His frame and length make it unlikely that he’ll be very switchable, but he is willing to pressure guards the length of the court and harass them throughout possessions. Fox is smart about jumping into passing lanes, something he showed late in the Wildcats’ win over Wichita State in the round of 32. He’s averaging 2.0 steals per 40 minutes this season.
Fox will face off with fellow point guard prospect Lonzo Ball and UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen on Friday night. The two teams played in early December. Fox finished with 20 points and nine assists while playing solid defense on Ball.