Former Sacramento Kings guard Mike Bibby had some major praise for De’Aaron Fox and his play in the postseason so far in the team’s first-round series against the Golden State Warriors.
Bibby believes Fox is the best player in the series, putting him above Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Former Sacramento Kings legend Mike Bibby on the Kings-Warriors series: “I think (De’Aaron Fox) is the best (player) in this series and it’s showing. If he keeps going the way he is, I have (the Kings) going to the (NBA) Finals.” pic.twitter.com/m2BEnPUXL7
— Cameron Salerno (@cameronsalerno1) April 18, 2023
“I think he’s the best [player] in the series,” Bibby said on “The Carton Show” on Tuesday morning. “I mean it’s showing. If he keeps going the way he is, like I said, I have them going to the Finals if he keeps playing the way he is.”
Fox has been terrific through the first two games of the series, scoring 38 points in Game 1 before turning in a strong Game 2 performance with 24 points, five rebounds and nine assists.
That has propelled the Kings to a 2-0 series lead over the Warriors as the two teams head to Chase Center for Games 3 and 4.
Bibby may have a little bias since he played for the Kings, but Fox has been playing his best basketball of his career this season. He was named an All-Star for the first time in his career and he led the NBA in clutch points in the regular season.
De’Aaron Fox is CLUTCH😤 pic.twitter.com/BrFLzGk6eQ
— PointsBet: A Fanatics Experience (@PointsBetFBG) April 18, 2023
Fox has kept up his strong play late in games, dominating the fourth quarter so far in this series. He’s scored 26 of his 62 points in the series in the final quarter of games.
De'Aaron Fox was a menace in the fourth quarter this season.
That trend has continued in the NBA Playoffs.
Fox in the 4Q during Game 1 & 2:
15 PTS | 5/9 FG | 3/3 3PT | 3 AST
11 PTS | 5/9 FG | 1/2 3PT | 3 ASTClutch Player of the Year. 🦊 pic.twitter.com/XGXEOb4VhP
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) April 18, 2023
The University of Kentucky product averaged 25.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game in the regular season while shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Curry, a four-time champion and the reigning NBA Finals MVP, has a more proven track record than Fox, so it’s hard to give the Kings guard the edge as the best player after just two games.
The Warriors star has played well in his own right, scoring 30 and 28 points in the first two games of the series. However, he shot just 3-for-13 from beyond the arc in the team’s Game 2 loss.
Fox has a chance to show that he can carry a team on a deep playoff run if Sacramento can take down the Warriors and keep advancing in the Western Conference.
If he does that, Bibby will look extremely smart for his take this early in the playoffs.
