2. De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky Wildcats
- Position: Point Guard
- Age: 19 (12/20/1997)
- Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’4″, 171 pounds, 6’6.25″
- 2016-17 Slash Line: .460/.211/.740
- 2016-17 Averages: 15.5 PPG, 5.0 APG, 4.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG
The Knicks could go in the complete opposite direction and address the defensive problems by going with the other star Kentucky guard, De’Aaron Fox. He’s the opposite of his backcourt mate.
The freshman is known for being an elite defender. Fox is ninth in the SEC in steals per game. If he can consistently rip the ball away from opposing guards in the pros like he does at the college level, the Knicks are looking at their best perimeter defender in years.
He made his bones playing smothering defense against UCLA’s star point guard Lonzo Ball. The son of crazed father LaVar had 14 points on just 5 of 12 shooting and turned the ball over 6 times.
Fox isn’t just known for his defense. He’s smart with the ball and creates for teammates. Dare I say he’d fit into the triangle offense? The 19-year-old leads the SEC in assists and is an excellent ball handler in the fast break.
The biggest knock on the freshman is the surprising struggles with his shooting. Fox has been so poor at Kentucky from three-point range that he’s only attempted 57 shots from downtown. After a high school game with ten made threes, he’s avoiding the three-point line altogether.
