De'Aaron Fox is putting up offensive numbers that certainly will carry him into the NBA All-Star conversation in the coming months. But the biggest leap in his game has been his effort on the other side of the court.
Defensive rating is far from a perfect stat, but Fox has posted a 114.0 mark (per NBA.com) through 10 games played. That would be his best defensive rating over a full season since 2018-19, his second year in the league.
The eye test agrees. Fox is noticeably active on defense, contributing to key stops, chasing down loose balls and even contributing on the glass with at least five rebounds in all but three contests.
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"I think a lot of it comes from [Kings coach] Mike [Brown]," Fox said Friday on ESPN's "NBA Today," hours before Sacramento defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 120-114.
"I can almost have a picture-perfect defensive possession. In the timeout, [Brown will] be like, ‘You could have done this better. You kept him in front of you the whole time, maybe you jumped a split-second too early.’ … It’s little things like that that continues to make me a better player and a better defender."
Brown, who coordinated the Golden State defense under Steve Kerr and was hired by the Kings during the Warriors' playoff run to the 2022 championship, is constantly giving Fox feedback on that side of the ball.
"I’m on him," Brown said after Saturday's practice [h/t FOX 40]. "I’m stomping my feet sometimes and yelling, going right at him during timeouts. And he doesn’t waver. I am extremely impressed with that. He looks me dead in the eye, and then 99 percent of the time, he goes and responds the right way. That’s hard to do, especially when you have a guy like me that just [yells loudly].
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"I have a lot of respect for him to be able to handle that. When he does that, it allows me to coach as hard as I want the rest of the group. So, I tip my hat to him to providing that for this team."
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Fox has made a career out of starring on the offensive end and breezing past defenders with blinding speed. This increased intensity on defense looks like it could take his game to new levels.
"It starts with defense," Fox said on ESPN. "Mike tells me, 'I know you can score 25. I know you can score 30. That’s not what I’m judging you on on a game-to-game basis. It’s what you’re doing defensively.' "