The Warriors have a De'Aaron Fox problem.
In Game 1 of the first-round series between the Warriors and Kings, Fox led Sacramento to victory with 38 points, making for the second-highest scoring playoff debut in NBA history. He followed that up with 24 points in Game 2, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter as the Kings took a 2-0 lead.
How is Fox picking apart a Warriors defense that has slowed down many stars over the years?
Let's take a closer look.
MORE: Can the Warriors come back from down 2-0 vs. Kings?
De'Aaron Fox stats
Here's what Fox is averaging through two games against the Warriors:
- 31.0 points per game
- 7.0 assists per game
- 3.0 rebounds per game
- 3.5 steals per game
- 0.5 blocks per game
- 2.5 turnovers per game
- 38.0 minutes per game
- 46.0 percent field goal shooting
- 33.3 percent 3-point shooting
- 71.4 percent free throw shooting
Fox is only 6-for-18 from 3-point range in the series, but, as you can see from his shot chart below, he's been an efficient scorer inside the perimeter.
Who on the Warriors is defending De'Aaron Fox?
A number of Warriors have spent time matched up with Fox so far, but Gary Payton II and Andrew Wiggins have been his primary defenders. The matchup data points to the two of them doing a good job of containing Sacramento's star. It's Draymond Green and Kevon Looney who he has done the most damage against.
| Defender | Minutes | Points | Assists | Turnovers | FGM-FGA |
| Gary Payton II | 6:37 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2-9 |
| Andrew Wiggins | 6:20 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2-9 |
| Stephen Curry | 2:43 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1-2 |
| Jonathan Kuminga | 2:43 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0-1 |
| Donte DiVincenzo | 2:37 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2-3 |
| Klay Thompson | 2:31 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2-6 |
| Jordan Poole | 1:30 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0-1 |
| Draymond Green | 1:24 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 6-8 |
| Kevon Looney | 1:23 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 8-13 |
MORE: How Kings built a team to end historic playoff drought
How De'Aaron Fox is picking the Warriors apart
What those numbers are capturing is how well Fox has scored over Green and Looney in help situations.
He's had some strong finishes against them at the rim:
But he's been at his best pulling up for floaters and jumpers:
Fox has been feasting from those areas all season long.
According to NBA.com, only Heat center Bam Adebayo made more field goals than him from floater range during the regular season, and Fox connected on those opportunities at a 52.9 percent clip. (If you were wondering, that was one of the best marks in the league.) He also ranked behind only eight players in makes from midrange while connecting on them at a 47.0 percent clip. (That was also one of the better marks in the league.)
Whenever he turns the corner in a pick-and-roll, Fox is looking for an opening from around the free throw line. His teammates have helped in the series by setting hard screens several feet behind the 3-point line to give him as long of a runway as possible against Golden State's drop coverage.
With three other shooters on the court, this is the sort of space Fox has been working with:
Fox also cooked the Warriors several times in isolation in Game 1.
These two shots Fox hit over Green, who is still very much in the conversation for best defender in the league, were particularly impressive:
If Fox is hitting those, there's not much any defender or defense can do. It's his paint touches out of the pick-and-roll and in transition that are hurting the Warriors the most right now. Not only is it where he's doing a lot of his scoring, but a good chunk of his assists have come on drives and kicks.
This is the sort of attention Giannis Antetokounmpo gets from teams:
That led to an absolute dime, by the way.
Something else that's carrying over from the regular season is Fox's fourth-quarter heroics. Through two games of the series, he's gone from averaging 6.5 points in the first quarter to 2.5 points in the second quarter to 9.0 points in the third quarter to 13.0 points in the fourth quarter.
There's a reason Fox is a finalist and the favorite to win Clutch Player of the Year.
MORE: Full schedule and updated scores for Warriors vs. Kings
When is the next Warriors vs. Kings game?
- Date: Thursday, April 20
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. PT
Following two games in Sacramento, the series shifts to Golden State for Game 3, which will be played at the Chase Center on Thursday, April 20. The game will tip off shortly after 10:00 p.m. ET.
