De’Aaron Fox’s ankle sprain is bad news for the short-handed Kings
By Mike Luciano
De’Aaron Fox is dealing with a nasty sprained ankle.
The Sacramento Kings have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic given how four players on the team tested positive for the virus. As if that wasn’t enough to deal with as the season looks to start up once more in Orlando, point guard De’Aaron Fox might be sidelined for the first few games of the restart.
Per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee, the explosive, über-quick young point guard sprained his ankle during practice, and he will be re-evaluated in about a week/
Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox suffered a left ankle sprain in practice today. He will be reevaluated in 7-10 days.
— Jason Anderson (@JandersonSacBee) July 15, 2020
De’Aaron Fox is starting to look like a star in Sacramento.
After averaging 11.3 points per game as a rookie out of Kentucky, Fox has kept expanding his offensive game, pumping that number up to 20.4 points this season while chipping in 6.8 assists per game. Losing the former No. 5 overall pick was going to sting regardless, but it hurts more considering that Luke Walton’s squad was already shorthanded.
Guard Buddy Hield, in addition to Jabari Parker, center Alex Len, and wing Harrison Barnes, tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, though Hield has since cleared quarantine and has rejoined the Kings at practice. Forward Richaun Holmes is also currently in quarantine after he foolishly decided to leave the Disney bubble to pick up delivery food.
A team without their starting point guard and exactly two big men in Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles doesn’t exactly have the look of a champion. Prepare for some rough times, Kings fans.
With Holmes and Len out, Harry Giles and Marvin Bagley are getting a lot of reps at center.
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) July 14, 2020
Related Story. Richaun Holmes has had a rough go of it in the Disney bubble. light
The Kings already faced long playoff odds given how they stand at 11th in the conference with a 28-36 record, and their quest for the postseason just got even more difficult. With players like Barnes, Fox, and Holmes all scheduled to miss time in Orlando, playoff teams will love seeing Sacramento on their schedule.