Kings will start rookie Tyrese Haliburton with De’Aaron Fox out due to COVID-19 protocols
Kings coach Luke Walton had the unenviable task of preparing to move forward without De’Aaron Fox on Saturday after the 23-year-old point guard was placed under NBA health and safety protocols.
Walton said rookie Tyrese Haliburton will start at point guard and Delon Wright will see increased duties off the bench when the Kings visit the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. Going up against starting point guards will be a challenge for Haliburton, but Walton said replacing Fox’s production will have to be a team effort.
“We’re not going to make up what De’Aaron does with one person,” Walton said. “We have to continue to work on the things that we value, and it’s one of those things that, as a group, we have to come out and play much better without having De’Aaron out there.”
Walton confirmed Fox is out due to health and safety protocols but declined to provide additional details, citing privacy reasons. Walton did not specifically address reports Fox is expected to miss 10 to 14 days, but that timeline would be consistent with protocols for a player who tested positive for COVID-19.
“He’s in the health and safety protocols. That’s all I’m going to say on it,” Walton said. “No matter how the question is asked, he’s in health and safety protocols. Anything else is going to have to come from the team as we respect De’Aaron’s privacy.”
The Kings are hopeful center Richaun Holmes will play against the Warriors after missing the past five games with a hamstring injury. Holmes is listed as questionable, but barring setbacks he is expected to return after practicing the past two days.
‘Huge loss for us’
Kings forward Maurice Harkless said the team was surprised to learn Fox was out, saying it came as a reminder that the virus is still a threat.
“We kind of all felt like we were past it, but obviously not,” Harkless said. “It’s still out there. It’s still real and it still can happen to anyone. It’s a big surprise for us as a team and it’s a huge loss for us as a team.”
Fox has taken another big step toward stardom this season, averaging a career-high 25.2 points and 7.2 assists per game. He was twice named Western Conference Player of the Week and was a finalist for Player of the Month after averaging 29.3 points per game in April.
“For what De’Aaron means to us, I think we’ll see, too, it’s more than just the points he scores,” Walton said. “He’s the guy for us that, when he’s got the ball in his hand, there are three guys in the paint. When he’s attacking the rim, there are four to five guys in the paint, so it creates a lot of offense, a lot of scoring opportunities for others as well. Without him on the floor, that’s going to get much more challenging, so it’s not just the points he scores per game, but it’s also the amount of offense he creates just by being out there.”
Fox would miss a minimum of five games if he is out for 10 days and eight games if he is out for 14 days. The Kings have 13 games remaining in the regular season and little chance of reaching the play-in tournament. They are 5 ½ games behind the Warriors for the final play-in spot going into Sunday’s game.
Starting Haliburton
Walton said the Kings can use this time to groom Haliburton and Wright, who came to Sacramento with one year remaining on his contract after being acquired in a trade with the Detroit Pistons.
“For Tyrese, it will help speed up where he goes as a player,” Walton said. “Being a starting point guard in this league is a very challenging job, so it’s not going to be easy, but it’s great experience for him. Getting Delon more opportunities and reps to kind of be able to run that second unit is going to be another thing that’s going to be good for the future of our team. Just the more responsibility put onto the guys, it’s going to be much harder and more challenging, but you have to find a silver lining for everything and that’s what we’ll be looking for.”
Haliburton, 21, came out of Iowa State as the No. 12 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He is averaging 12.6 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 47.2% from the field and 41.5% from 3-point range. Harkless said Haliburton has the confidence of his teammates.
“He’s been great, in my opinion,” Harkless said. “He’s shown a level of poise that a lot of rookies don’t have right away. He has a really good feel for the game. He doesn’t really force anything. He just lets the game come to him. I really enjoy watching him play and playing with him. I think it’s a great opportunity for him. Obviously, it’s unfortunate that De’Aaron’s not going to be with us for however long, but it’s a great opportunity for Ty to just elevate his game and try to take his game to the next level.”
This story was originally published April 25, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
