History has shown us that quick, explosive guards can wreak havoc on opposing NBA defenses. De’Aaron Fox is no exception.

Background

De’Aaron Fox is a 6-foot-3, 190 pound 19-year-old point guard coming off a one-and-done stint with the Kentucky Wildcats. The one knock on him is that he is an inconsistent jump shooter, shooting just 24.6 percent from 3 per 40 minutes. Despite that, he still shoots 52.1 percent inside the three point line and averaged 16.7 points and 4.6 assists to go along with 4.0 rebounds.

His assist to turnover ratio is nearly 2/1 and he shoots 73.6 percent from the free throw line. Fox is an electric point guard who loves to turn up the pace. He loves to get out in transition and put pressure on defenses which is when he’s at his best.

Performance against top prospects

Obviously against a few of the top prospects Fox isn’t guarding them directly, however, he does show up in big games against tough competition. In two games against Lonzo Ball and UCLA, the prospects split the two games. Lonzo finished the two games averaging 12 points, 7.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds. Fox finished with an average of 29.5 points, 6.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds, effectively dominating his two matchups with UCLA’s star guard.

In a tough road loss against Louisville, Fox outplayed prospect Donovan Mitchell. Fox scored 21 points had three assists, two rebounds while Mitchell had 13 points, four rebounds and one assist.

He also had a let down game against top-five prospect Josh Jackson. Fox had just 10 points, two assists and two rebounds in a home loss to the Kansas Jayhawks. Jackson capitalized and had 20 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, outplaying Fox in every category.

Ultimately, showing he can play in big games and on a big stage is important to NBA owners. Fox has shown that when the lights are brightest he puts some of his best games together.

Comparison

Another Kentucky Wildcat comes to mind when watching Fox play. John Wall was a fast paced one-and-done player that lacked a jump shot coming into the NBA. He is now one of the top point guards in the league and has steadily improved his 3-point shot every year since his collegiate days.

The freshman year statistics for both are eerily similar. Fox averaged .1 more points per game while Wall averaged 1.9 more assists, .3 more rebounds a game and shot 1.8 percent better from the free throw line.

Fox shot 1.7 percent better from the field than Wall and had a higher assist to turnover ratio (Fox:1.9/1, Wall:1.63/1). Both are extremely close in almost every statistical category and both led their teams to the Elite Eights.

Best Fit

Obviously Fox has a lot to prove. He is a surefire lottery pick that seems destined to go top five in the draft.

Fox’s best fit in the draft is at the fifth pick to the Sacramento Kings and would join an aging back court with Darren Collison and Ty Lawson. This creates an opportunity to take the reigns for years to come.

Fox, along with guard Buddy Hield would look to form a young nucleus. The two would look to create a backcourt that could be lethal for years to come. Fox would get an opportunity to play in his first year and raise his NBA value as soon as he gets into the league.

De’Aaron Fox might not be the best player in the draft pool at this point but he is quickly on the rise and full of potential. There have been countless players who have developed a jump shot throughout their years in the NBA and Fox is a jump shot away from being an All-Star for years to come.