[SI] De'Aaron Fox and the Kings Are Building for the Future

[mac]

Fox has Luke Walton for a coach and a team that just now handed him the keys this season or last. Comparing him to Trae or any of those other guys doesn't make much sense

Why? And keep in mind, Fox is a big part of why Walton is coming back next year, which should tell you all you need to know about whether Fox himself believes that the problem is Walton. You can't back a coach and then not be held accountable just because you're playing for that coach.

Also, Fox has had the keys as long as Doncic/Trae have. Season #1 was the whole George Hill/ZBo thing; by season #2 we were run and gun under Joerger, which was Luka/Trae's rookie season.

 

[mac]

Yep. And you have to have proper usage before deciding anything. For instance. Walton wants to and does run 4 guard lineups consistently. Now, wouldn't common sense lead you to the possible strengths of a team like that defensively? I would think you'd be quicker. Those players will vertically be closer to the same area as the ball when a bigger player is dribbling at them. Easy answer there, pressure the ball! Play under the man you're guarding. Nope, he had players like Cojo help down on penetration. What the heck is a player that size going to do as a rim protector? Well, we know quite well by now, and it's not good! Joerger did some of the same things to much the same effect. He didn't run teams that hopelessly small however.

While I 100% agree that Walton is a terrible coach, there has to be some point where a superstar is a superstar independent of the coach right? Putting aside Fox just so we can discuss this more objectively - take Cousins for example - while he wasn't considered a winner, he was considered top 3-4 big men in the NBA, made the all star team etc. Likewise with KAT - he was at one point considered a top 3 franchise cornerstone in the league, despite not being a winner, and then started losing his shine.

I think that coaching has a lot bigger impact on role players than it does on star players as far as personal reputation goes, or on guys you wouldn't have expected to be stars becoming stars. To say "you have to have proper usage before deciding anything" sounds pretty subjective/circular to me. It's like saying "you can't decide whether a player is a star until they play like a star".

 

[SacTownKid]

While I 100% agree that Walton is a terrible coach, there has to be some point where a superstar is a superstar independent of the coach right? Putting aside Fox just so we can discuss this more objectively - take Cousins for example - while he wasn't considered a winner, he was considered top 3-4 big men in the NBA, made the all star team etc. Likewise with KAT - he was at one point considered a top 3 franchise cornerstone in the league, despite not being a winner, and then started losing his shine.

I think that coaching has a lot bigger impact on role players than it does on star players as far as personal reputation goes, or on guys you wouldn't have expected to be stars becoming stars. To say "you have to have proper usage before deciding anything" sounds pretty subjective/circular to me. It's like saying "you can't decide whether a player is a star until they play like a star".

Maybe but go ask LeBron how his go around with this particular coach ended for him. ha ha. While Fox is on the cusp of possibly being a universal talent he's not a full fledged member yet and yes, proper usage for both he and the players around him IS KEY as a result of that. And this debate was based on defense which is a totally subjective conversation since so much if that centers around the few viable forms of defense you can play at this current time. Bottom line, there are still ways you have to play to emphasize his positives and minimize his weaknesses.

Bigs like KAT and Cuz are a different animal. Players like that are just sliding farther and farther down the pack as full on Nellie ball is beginning to displace them. Team build and coaching is probably even more important for the Jokic's of the world than a Fox but it still matters. I think it was pretty obvious and pointed out at the time in those moments where Fox dragged his coach single handedly across the finish line. Buddy has done it for both Joerger and Walton. And while that's not abnormal for the NBA it's too often necessitated under this current coach. The coaches number 1 job is to make the game as easy as possible for his top core of talent. Not push role players up a level hoping to balance out the middle. In the NBA it's all about ascending to the highest peak. That typically only works if you are going to be one of the best defensive teams in history if history has it's say.