Fox, Kings play to their identity in promising victory against Suns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SACRAMENTO — Through 11 games over 21 days of the 2024-25 NBA season, the identity of the Kings has grown harder and harder to decipher.
On their 12th one Wednesday night, 127-104 win over the Phoenix Sunsthey finally unlocked it — and Kings star guard De’Aaron Fox had the key.
Fox shot a career-best 36.9 percent from 3-point range last season on a career-high 7.8 attempts per game. This season, he has struggled mightily from beyond the arc, shooting just 28.2 percent on 6.5 attempts. He is playing with a finger injury on his left shooting hand, which likely contributes to the lowered numbers.
But Wednesday night was like the Fox we knew four or five years ago, showing the part of his game that has made him such a special player since entering the league as a 19-year-old rookie. He used his unmatched speed to get to the paint and create for himself and others.
He did not attempt a single 3-point shot until there was 1:33 remaining in the first half. He had 14 points on 6 of 9 shooting in 18 first-half minutes, with two rebounds four assists and two steals at the time. His next and final 3-point attempt came in the fourth quarter, which was nothing short of a 25-footer.
Fox finished with a game-high 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field and 1 of 2 from downtown, with six rebounds and 10 assists. He also made six of his eight free throw attempts and was a plus-19 in plus/minus rating in 32 minutes.
Vintage Fox.
“Just the emphasis on getting to the paint,” Fox said when asked about his shot selection on Wednesday. “I think one [3-pointer] was out of the drip, one was a trap. But other than that, almost trying to touch the paint. And I think anytime we’re able to touch the paint and get open looks, I think we’re a better shooting team. So pretty much just emphasize that.
“[Kings assistant coach] Luke [Loucks] talked to me about it, and I’m just trying to be able to do it. Get teammates open looks, get to the free throw line, whatever it is.”
In a league that glamorizes 3-point shooting and unimaginable logo shots, it’s easy for players to get lost in what’s wanted versus what’s needed for their team.
For Fox, Brown needs his star player to get back to basics and play fundamental basketball as things pay off for both him and the team — just like they did Wednesday.
“This is what we need from Fox,” Brown said after the game. “He’s the fastest guy in the league. He’s the best guard finisher in the league, but our spacing has to be right, and our spacing was pretty good tonight. I mean, when it’s there for him, he’s going to go down, and it is. It’s up to us to make sure that happens, and then it’s up to him to make sure he stays aggressive, getting into that paint where he’s lethal.”
Despite his early struggles this season, Fox still has the green light to shoot the 3-ball whenever that’s the right basketball play — and he should. But when he’s in the bag attacking the basket with speed and strength, there are so many lethal options he can handle in the moment: get to the rim, pull up and knock down the jump shot like the mid-range master he is, find Domantas Sabonis or whichever big man is cutting, or dish it out to a sniper waiting on the perimeter.
That is a Sacramento Kings offense. That is their identity. And that is what was on full display on wednesday.
“Like I said before, I think it’s the way we touch the paint,” Fox said of what worked for Sacramento’s offense in Wednesday’s win. “I think you get two feet into the paint, and then you shoot. Sometimes, it might not be that person who shoots, but now the defense is in rotation, and it could be swing, swing, somebody else touches the paint , swing, swing, shot Whenever we play, we don’t play to get the help constant rotation.
“And I think that’s when you start getting open looks. And I mean, obviously, everybody knows it’s a lot easier to stand there, catch the ball and shoot than having to run off the screen or having to do it on your own. de the dribble So if we’re able to do that, if we’re able to create advantages, and then play off of that, I feel like it makes those shots a lot easier.”
The numbers also support that.
Sacramento shot a season-best 53.6 percent from 3-point land. Trey Lyles, who appears to be finding his groove again after dealing with a groin injury, finished with a season-high 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, with five rebounds and a three. assists in 22 minutes off the bench. Keegan Murray and Sabonis each added three triples, Kevin Huerter had two, and Fox, Jordan McLaughlin, Keon Ellis and Colby Jones each added one.
Two seasons ago, Sacramento’s newfound success was built on its historic offense structured around speed, ball movement, DHOs and volume 3-point shooting.
Last year, the Kings hoped to maintain a strong offensive showing while emphasizing defensive growth, with physicality being a word thrown around by Brown probably thousands of times.
But with so much emphasis on defense, shooting numbers dropped on the other end of the floor for several players. One silver lining of the lackluster season in which the Kings missed the playoffs was players such as Murray, whose role was limited to a catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter the season before as a rookie, blossomed into an incredible defender, opening up the lane. to two-way stardom.
But silver linings and moral victories aren’t enough in the NBA — especially not in the stacked Western Conference.
Entering this year, it was time for the Kings to choose their identity and stick with it for 82 games. Of course, defense will always be important to any team’s success – especially one trained by Brown.
The Kings have already shown significant growth on that side of the ball in a small sample size this season, with players buying into Brown’s two-year defensive appeal. Huerter’s growth from his first Kings season to now is nothing short of remarkable. Fox fully lives up to his nickname “Swipa” with his steals, but he has become a much better overall defender since his partnership with Brown.
All the while that was a reassuring sign — that is no and shouldn’t be their game. At least not until their size problem is addressed.
What they have to rely on is what helped them win Wednesday’s game: their offense, and, more specifically, their 3-point shooting.
“I thought in the second half, we played to what our identity is,” Brown said postgame. “We always talk about playing physical. Our guys did it. They did a great job defensively, trying to be physical. We always talk about playing fast, 22 fast break points for the game. That was right up our alley. And then we talk about playing together
“I thought this was one of our best games to do what we know how to do, which is touch the paint and spray it or just move the ball forward, especially against teams that are in heavy turnover. So our ability to do those things tonight played right into what our identity is, and it was good to get a win of this magnitude, playing a little bit like we’re capable of playing.”
It took some time to find and actually fulfill their identity, but it could be worth the wait if the Kings can maintain and build on Wednesday’s showing.
