Kings guard De’Aaron Fox has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week, while Magic forward Franz Wagner has won the award for the East, the NBA announced on Monday (via Twitter).
Although Sacramento only went 2-2 during the week of November 11-17, Fox had a phenomenal four games individually, averaging 40.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 2.0 steals on .574/.571/.810 shooting in 37.1 minutes per contest. He scored a career-high 60 points in Friday’s overtime loss to Minnesota and followed that up with 49 points in Saturday’s win over Utah, becoming just the third player in NBA history to score at least 109 points in back-to-back games.
Fox is averaging a career-best 28.9 PPG, which ranks sixth in the league, through 14 games. After leading the NBA with 2.0 steals per game in ’23/24, he’s currently seventh this season at 1.8 per contest. The Kings are currently 8-6.
Wagner, a 23-year-old forward from Germany, also had a terrific week. He averaged 30.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.0 steals while only turning the ball over three times in three home victories (36.5 MPG). He posted a shooting line of .458/.357/.889. The Magic have won five straight and are currently 8-6.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Alperen Sengun and Shaedon Sharpe. Wagner, who was also nominated for the award last week, beat out Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cade Cunningham, Dyson Daniels, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns in the East.
42 FTA in those 4 games, with a 2-2 record should NEVER mean a player is the best player of the week SMH
What’s wrong with the high number of free throws? You think the Sacramento Kings are getting favorable whistles from the refs in games now?
That’s never been the case, they’ve always faced an uphill battle and I don’t think that has changed this year suddenly.
Perhaps Fox is being coached properly and taught to beat his man, as he frequently does, off the dribble, and going to the hole for fouls?
Maybe the coaching is great over there in Sacramento? Mike Brown’s pretty good ya know.
I’m definitely not a Kings fan but I do recognize great players here and there. Kudos to Fox for bringing a little recognition to himself and in turn, the Kings.
Don’t complain he might be a warrior next season.
Hater
Its great to see De’Aaron Fox turning it up a notch when his team needs him. I thought this a couple years now that he is just an unguardable guy out there especially now that he can hit the three-point shot regularly.
You are at his mercy when he has the ball and you just hope he cools off at some point. His quickness, his Drive and mental toughness… I just hope he stays healthy and we can enjoy watching him play. What a superstar he is becoming.