Behind the Numbers: Brewing a Superstar in Sacramento

Photo courtesy of NBA.com

After what many considered a decent rookie season King's D'Aaron Fox has exploded onto the scene in 2018. Fox, who had little impact on the trajectory of the Kings season last year, has suddenly become the franchise has been desperate for following the Demarcus Cousins trade. Throughout the first 23 games it's clear Fox has taken major strides growing as both a leader and a player.

One of the main knocks in Fox's game last season was his inconsistency running point guard. Most expect point guards to run a team efficiently by spreading the ball around and finding/making open shots for their teammates. Fox averaged a low 4.4 assists per game which converted to 5.7 assists per 36 minutes. What's even more noteworthy was that he had a player efficiency rating of 11.2 which is below the league average of 15. It's hard to drill these ideas too much though as he was only a rookie on a sub-par roster.

Fast forward to this season and it's looking like Fox is going to be a future all-star. Through 23 games he has improved in nearly every statistical category. He's increased his points per game average from 11.6 to 17.3. He has also upped his assist rate from aforementioned 4.4 to 7.5, and rebounding numbers from 2.8 to 3.8. While doing so he's also been more efficient on offense. He has increased his field goal percentage from 41 percent to 45 percent and three point percentage from 30 percent to 38 percent.

When looking into advanced stats it shows just how much Fox has grown. He has increased his PER to 17.1, his true shooting percentage has spiked to 55 percent (47 percent last season), and has been able to get to the line more raising his free throw attempt rate to 49 percent. Fox has been able to accomplish all this while only having his usage rate increase by .7 percent.

Barring an incredible setback, Fox has no where to go but up. With the offseason addition of Marvin Bagley III, Fox has been able to not have to produce on his own which has opened up his game immensely. In fact, the Kings have been able to shock many as they've gotten off to a 12-11 start which ties for eight in the West. Though it's a long season and plenty of things can happen, one thing is certain, the Kings have finally found their star of the future.

Video Credits: YouTube.com-Free Dawkins, Sky Designs NBA

Statistics gathered from: https://www.basketball-reference.com/

Statistics and information gathered December 6th, 2018