The Los Angeles Lakers have a tough decision to make with the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, as unlike Markelle Fultz, who will most likely be chosen by the Boston Celtics with the top pick, all the other prospects are extremely talented but also have noticeable weaknesses.
UCLA’s Lonzo Ball has some struggles at the defensive end of the floor in addition to his limited midrange game, while forward Josh Jackson out of Kansas lacks a jump shot.
Another prospect the Lakers may be considering is Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox, who demonstrates elite quickness and athletic ability, while being one of the best perimeter defenders in the draft.
But like Jackson, Fox struggled to shoot for outside in his one year at Kentucky, as he shot just 24.6 percent from three-point range.
Fox has a nice form on his jump shot though, and believes he is a good shooter. He simply chalks up this past year at Kentucky to being a bad year for him, via Andrew Sharp of Sports Illustrated:
“What I tell teams,” he says, “I’m always in the gym. Kentucky was just a bad year shooting for me. I shot the ball well from the free throw line, that’s one thing a lot of people really look at. I don’t really know why—I’ve never been a bad shooter, but I did have a bad year. I’m going to work on it. I’m already used to the NBA three, been shooting it well during workouts. Honestly, only time can tell. I’m gonna to have to prove it in games.”
What could bode well for Fox is that he had his best game of the season in the Sweet 16 against UCLA and Ball, as he scored 39 points on 13-of-20 shooting. He also shot 73.9 percent from the free throw line, which as he mentioned weighs high among NBA scouts.
Despite selling himself as a better shooter than he showed, it still looks as if Fox is slightly below Ball and Jackson, at least on the Lakers’ draft board. Reports are that the Lakers are split between Ball and Jackson, assuming Fultz goes first.