Dynamic duo: ESPN ranks Kings’ De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton among NBA’s top 25 under 25
Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox and rookie Tyrese Haliburton have already garnered a number of individual awards this season, Now they are being recognized as two of the top young players in the NBA.
ESPN ranked Fox and Haliburton among the NBA’s top 25 players under the age of 25. The rankings, compiled by ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton and Mike Schmitz, feature some of the game’s brightest young stars, including LaMelo Ball, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson and Trae Young.
Fox, 23, was prominently placed at No. 6 on ESPN’s list. Haliburton, 21, came in at No. 21.
The Kings selected Fox out of Kentucky with the No. 5 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. In his fourth season in Sacramento, Fox is averaging a career-high 24.6 points and 7.1 assists. He was ranked ahead of players such as Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers, Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns and Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat.
Fox has been named Western Conference Player of the Week twice this season. He won the award for a second time on March 29 after averaging 36.8 points per game while shooting 64% from the field, 37.5% from 3-point range and 82.8% at the free-throw line during a recent four-game winning streak.
“Fox is one of only seven players in the NBA averaging at least 24 points and 7 assists per game as the leader of a Kings franchise that finally appears headed in the right direction,” Schmitz wrote. “As I outlined last year, the game has slowed down for Fox — he’s striking that balance between using his blazing speed and taking what the defense gives him. ... Once he can get his 3-ball above league average, Fox will be close to unguardable.”
Haliburton came out of Iowa State as the No. 12 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He has adapted quietly nicely to the NBA game despite an abbreviated offseason with no summer league, averaging 13.1 points, 5.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds.
Haliburton has emerged as a top Rookie of the Year candidate after capturing Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors for December/January and February. He was No. 1 on last week’s NBA.com Rookie Ladder.
“The No. 2 player in my projections for the 2020 draft has lived up to that billing despite sliding to 12th on draft night,” Pelton wrote. “Haliburton has exceeded expectations with his knockdown outside shooting (42% from 3-point range) and ability to create out of the pick-and-roll — areas that were supposedly concerns.”
