The Kings still have a lot of figuring out to do before they’re in a position to compete in the Western Conference again, but they at least have some interesting players to work with. While that includes a frontcourt featuring a rim-running center in Willie Cauley-Stein and a unicorn-like power forward in Skal Labissiere, perhaps the two most interesting players currently on their roster are De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield, both of whom were lottery picks in the last two NBA Drafts.
Although we have yet to see how the dynamic between Fox and Hield will work out, they should have no problem complementing each other. Whereas Fox is a point guard who lives in the paint, Hield is a shooting guard who lives on the perimeter. Fox’s ability to break down defenses with his speed and athleticism should therefore open up the opportunities Hield needs to unlock his full potential as a shooter. It works the other way as well: Hield’s ability to knock down 41.7 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3-pointers should open up the opportunities Fox needs to unlock his full potential as a playmaker by pulling defenders away from the basket.
One way in which that could materialize immediately is in transition. As a member of the Kings last season, Hield generated 21.8 percent of his offense in transition for an average of 3.8 points per game. At a rate of 1.20 points per possession, Hield ranked in the 69.2 percentile in transition scoring.
Fox also creates a lot of his offense in transition. According to Draft Express, 30.7 percent of his scoring came in the open court during his freshman season at Kentucky for an average of 5.9 points per game. Furthermore, Fox created 30.0 percent of his assists on the season in transition. With Fox pushing the ball and Hield sprinting to the perimeter, it could turn the Kings into a greater transition threat than last season, when they ranked in the 41.4 percentile with 1.08 points per possession.
Just imagine someone who is capable of putting this much pressure on teams following missed shots and turnovers:
Next to someone who checked out as one of the better spot-up shooters in the NBA last season with an average of 1.09 points per possession.
It’s similar to how John Wall and Bradley Beal — a blur in transition who Fox has been compared to and as complete of a shooter as there is in the NBA — operate in transition. Fox and Hield obviously have a long way to go before they come close to being as dominant as Wall and Beal in transition, but they have the makings of a solid 1-2 punch because of how their strengths complement each other.
The gravity of Fox and Hield in transition should open up opportunities for others as well. With Fox pushing the ball and Hield running to the 3-point line, the likes of Cauley-Stein, Labissiere, Kosta Koufos and Georgios Papagiannis will be able to take advantage as trailers if they make an effort to beat opposing big men up the court. Even though he has a tendency to force the issue in transition, Fox has displayed the vision needed to find his big men in those situations.
At the very least, the Kings will likely get out in transition more than they did last season — 23rd in total transition points scored in between the Bulls and Clippers — when Fox and Hield are on the court together. Doing so will help Fox transition to the NBA, as his limitations as a shooter could impact his value in the half court.
Next: Fox’s lack of off-the-dribble shooting range is a problem
It’ll also help Hield build on a promising second half of the season, when he looked more like the sharpshooting prospect he was made out to be when the Pelicans drafted him No. 6 overall in 2016.
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