Redrafting the 2017 NBA Draft: Which teams fix their mistakes?

Injuries have held De’Aaron Fox below 60 games played in three consecutive seasons now. As is common with these re-drafts, a player’s talent and ceiling are not the only factors. There is the lingering question of whether or not Fox can stay healthy enough to reach his ceiling.

To make matters worse, Fox is stuck in the closest place we have to basketball purgatory. The Kings can’t seem to figure out how to win, nor can they figure out how to properly rebuild. Sacramento’s struggles stretch well beyond Fox (it’s not his fault his teammates consistently fail him), but Fox has been the bedrock of Sacramento’s team building for six years now. At some point, the criticism will rest on Fox’s shoulders.

He is far from flawless. Fox spent much of his early career struggling behind the 3-point line, and even last season he shot below 30 percent from deep. The volume continues to improve and Fox has gotten significantly better at torching defenses from the mid-range, but his lack of shooting efficiency is a valid critique. He has also traditionally struggled on the defensive end.

That said, Fox is also one of the fastest NBA players. He possesses an elite first step that can overwhelm even the best defenders. Once he’s moving downhill, Fox has the athleticism and finesse to knife right through traffic in the paint. He’s good for 20-25 points per game and he has the capacity to be one of the NBA’s most prolific facilitators. There is always value in a reliable, go-to initiator like that, even if the jumper is of concern.