Los Angeles Lakers land their dream prospect in 2017 NBA Mock Draft
By Nick Ziegler
67. . Point Guard. Kentucky. De'Aaron Fox. 5. player
Sacramento has a great chance to kickstart their rebuild. Without DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings are looking for a new face of the franchise. Will Buddy Hield, the centerpiece of the trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, become that player? There is a chance, but the Kings would love to add more potential faces of the franchise. This pick has a chance to do that, as the Kings also solve their longstanding problem at point guard.
De’Aaron Fox has been shooting up draft boards. Teams really like Fox, as he killed it at the NBA Combine in the interviews he did. Once workouts get going, there is a chance that he pushes into the Markelle Fultz/Lonzo Ball area of the draft. Not everyone can do in the top-three, so if Fox stays in this area the Kings will be glad to take him.
The first thing teams notice about Fox is his athleticism. He is by far the quickest point guard in this class with elite speed and athleticism. He is a blur on the court and very difficult to stay in front off. Even without a consistent jump shot, Fox is very difficult to keep from getting into the paint.
Fox also brings it on defense. He is already a great on-ball defender despite his slight size. He weighed in at around 170 pounds at the combine, so he will probably have to be monitored a bit to keep from wearing down.
There are a number of teams that already favor Fox over Ball. His defense is what truly separates the two, and what could move him even higher in the draft. The Kings landed in a good place in this draft and will reap the benefits of one of the deeper prospect pools in recent memory.