On January 21st, halfway through the Sacramento Kings’ longest road trip of the season, De’Aaron Fox scored an inefficient 9 points on 14 shots in a blowout loss the Brooklyn Nets. In the two games prior, he recorded 14 points on 13 shots and 10 points on 10 shots, a far cry from the dynamic scorer featured earlier in the year. The sophomore stud emanated an aura of exhaustion in his time on the floor.

Whispers abounded the next day that the Kings were considering resting their star point guard. Sacramento was facing the Toronto Raptors on the road in the second game of a back-to-back, what most would consider a scheduled loss; however, Kawhi Leonard was also sitting out for the home team. Many wondered if Dave Joerger should play his starting point guard to try and steal a win in the Great White North, but the Kings decided to stick with their plan and rest De’Aaron Fox, along with Nemanja Bjelica and Iman Shumpert. Sacramento’s backups played a hard fought game, but their gumption wasn’t enough to overcome a more highly skilled opponent. Another loss was added to the Kings’ record amidst the tightest playoff race in recent memory.

That investment into De’Aaron Fox’s health, while it negatively affected Saramento’s place in the standings, has paid off exponentially as of late. After being granted three full days off from basketball activities, De’Aaron Fox, and subsequently the Kings, have returned to their early season form:

The Rest Affect Period of Time MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% TRB AST STL BLK PTS Period of Time MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% TRB AST STL BLK PTS Full Season Averages 31.5 6.3 13.5 47% 1.1 2.9 36% 3.7 7.2 1.7 0.5 17.5 Six Games Prior to Rest 30.2 4.3 11.8 36% 0.8 2.8 29% 4.7 7.2 1.5 0.5 13.7 Five Games After Rest 31.1 6.8 13.8 49% 0.8 2.2 36% 4.6 5.8 1.2 0.4 18.2

Fox’s non-scoring numbers have stayed in the same range as his season averages, although his assists are slightly down. But his ability to put the ball in the bucket is the true catalyst of the Kings’ fast-paced offense. In the six games prior to resting, De’Aaron averaged just 13.7 points per game on 36% shooting from the field and 29% from deep. His shot attempts frequently fell well short of the rim, while the turbocharged engine of Sacramento’s transition attack seemed to be lacking his customary extra gear. The future All-Star scored only 2.3 fast break points per game, compared to his season average of 4.3, and the Kings’ pace suffered from that lack of aggression. The team’s pace dropped to 99.3 over those half-dozen contests, 18th in the NBA, but their speed has picked right back up over the last five games, sitting at 102.8, third-highest in the league.

There’s no doubt that Sacramento’s decision-makers made the right call in giving their most important player a much-needed night off. De’Aaron Fox has since performed like the burgeoning star everyone observed in 2018, and the Kings have won four of their last five games to pull within a half game of the eighth seed. In just over a week, the players will receive their last major rest of the year, seven days off for the All-Star Break, just in time for the all-important push for the post-season. Here’s to hoping that time away from basketball has a similar effect on every member of Dave Joerger’s squad.