Wizards' Wall awaits encounter vs. Fox, Kings (Oct 29, 2017)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The comparisons between De'Aaron Fox and John Wall have been coming since the Sacramento Kings took the former with the fifth pick in June's NBA draft.
The two not only share the same college (Kentucky) and entered the NBA at 19, but the experts say they possess the same scary speed, style and fearlessness on the court.
On Sunday, they come together on the same court for the first time.
The Kings face the Wizards in a Sunday matinee at Golden 1 Center, and the marquee features the point guards, one of whom (Fox) was named by the other (Wall) to have the best upside among the rookie point guards before he was even picked.
"A lot of people say it's bias, because he's from Kentucky, but I think De'Aaron Fox might end up being the best point guard of that class," Wall told NBC Sports in Washington in May. "He reminds me of myself a lot, just a lefty."
Wall, averaging 21.7 points and 10.4 assists in Washington's first five games, is eight years removed since he was in Fox's shoes, trying to use blazing speed, skill and swagger to change a losing culture. He has succeeded; the Wizards have reached the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs in three of the past four seasons and have developed an almost ferocious will to compete.
It still doesn't end in victory as often as Wall and the Wizards would like. Washington blew a 17-point lead in a 120-117 loss at the Golden State Warriors on Friday, its second straight loss in which a late lead got away.
The Wizards' emotions also boiled over. Guard Bradley Beal was ejected late in the second quarter after an altercation with Warriors forward Draymond Green. The NBA did not announce any discipline for Beal on Saturday, and the Wizards are hopeful he'll play against Sacramento.
"We're a team that no matter who you are, defending champs or not, that's how we play," Wall told reporters after the game. "That's how we were brought up -- to compete."
The Kings are trying to usher in a similar culture. Fox, the 19-year-old rookie, will start his first game, with the team announcing Saturday that forward Zach Randolph and point guard George Hill will sit out to rest.
Fox has averaged a team-best 14.8 points and 5.0 assists in about 27 minutes a game in Sacramento's first five contests, four of which Sacramento had a chance to win. Fox had 14 points and five assists in Thursday's 114-106 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
He's also developed a chemistry with 25-year-old rookie guard Bogdan Bogdanovic in the two games since the Serbian rookie returned from injury. Bogdanovic has scored 22 points in two games and made 9 of his 22 shots.
"I can talk to him and tell him about the mistakes I made," Bogdanovic told the Sacramento Bee, speaking of Fox. "and hope he can learn without having to make those mistakes."
Skal Labissiere also is expected to get his second start of the season. Labissiere is averaging 12.2 points and 5.2 rebounds in five games this season.
Guards Buddy Hield (12.2 points) and Garrett Temple (10.0) and center Willie Cauley-Stein (11.2) also are all are averaging double-digits in scoring for Sacramento.
