The season just began, but Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox is already dealing with a nagging injury.
After revealing that he dislocated his pinky during training camp, the 26-year-old told reporters that “(it’s) probably a ligament,” per Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. Though correcting the injury with a surgical procedure is probably still on the table, Fox has opted to play through it and avoid a month-long absence. In the meantime, he’s been playing with his “pinky and ring finger taped together.”
Kings Star De’Aaron Fox Speaks Up About Early Season Injury
As he’s currently averaging 23.5 points and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 47.7 percent from the field, it could be much ado about nothing. Yet, Fox is making just 26.8 percent of his threes so far this season. He’s been somewhat accurate on his catch-and-shoot attempts (33.3 percent) and on fire when left wide open (45.5 percent). Still, his inefficiency is a bit concerning, even considering the fact that he’s not known as an elite shooter.
The bigger problem for the Kings may be that even if they wanted to force Fox to rest and rehabilitate, he might not be able to. That’s not because he doesn’t want to, as team’s have a responsibility to protect players, even from themselves. It’s because of the circumstances they currently find themselves in.
At this point in the season, they’re just 3-3. That’s not going to cut it for a team that clinched a postseason berth in 2022-23. Especially not a team that was expected to keep building their momentum, but instead failed to reach the playoffs in 2023-24.
The responsibility of taking the team to the promised land doesn’t just fall on one person. However, as arguably their best player, a lot of weight is on Fox’s shoulders. When considering his underwhelming performance last season in regard to his shot selection, he may feel extra pressure.
There’s also the fact that Fox doesn’t have a healthy backup right now. Former Providence standout Devin Carter was selected 13th overall by the Kings in the 2024 NBA Draft. However, he was injured throughout the offseason and isn’t expected to be ready for game action in the immediate future. Sacramento could turn to Jordan McLaughlin, but his muted impact would make Fox’s absence even more apparent.
