Nine days before the NBA Draft, the Lakers hosted one of the most highly rated players in this year’s field, as Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox visited El Segundo on Tuesday.
After his session, the 19-year-old fielded questions on his strengths, weaknesses and more.
Q: On how the workout went:
Fox: I feel like it went well. I shot the ball well, showed that I can play point guard, getting up and down the court. Just trying to show that even if I was fatigued I could fight through it.
Q: On if the workout featured any surprises:
Fox: No, not really. It’s basketball. Not too many things can be a surprise. Coming out here, I was really prepared for it and I thought I attacked the workout really well today.
Q: On if the Lakers gave him any assurance that they would draft him:
Fox: I haven’t gotten assurance from anyone. You never know what can happen on draft night.
Q: On what he learned about the Lakers organization:
Fox: Just people that I didn’t know, where they wanted to head in the future. Actually my brother’s a Lakers fan, so I know the history of the Lakers. I grew up watching the whole NBA, so I know the history of a lot of teams.
Q: On what he hopes they found out about him:
Fox: That I can shoot the ball well. I stay in the gym. I’ve always been a gym rat. I’ve always been working on my shot. That’s just one thing. And that I’m a fighter. Even if I’m tired and my hands are on my knees, you’re still going to get the most out of me.
Q: On if his brother was excited about him working out for the Lakers:
Fox: He’s kind of taking it more from a business aspect, not more of a fan’s. He’s still a Lakers fan, but he’s looking at it like a business, kind of how I am right now.
Q: On how much he was able to show his shot at the workout:
Fox: A lot. You’re out here by yourself. You don’t get the contests that you’ll get in a game or practice, but you get the reps, see how you’re doing, things like that.
Q: On what separates him from the other point guards in the draft:
Fox: I feel like I just attack everyone. No matter who’s in front of you — no matter if it’s defense, offense, rebounding. Every aspect of the game, I just feel like I attack it.
Q: On if he is motivated by most people projected Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball at the top of the draft:
Fox: Yeah, you can say that about anybody. Right now I’m just worried about myself. Not really worried about those guys.
Q: On if he feels that there are parts of his game that go under appreciated:
Fox: I think there are, but at the end of the day we’re all going to play basketball. We’re all going to get drafted no matter what. You just want to see the NBA career. College is over, so I really just put that behind me.
Q: On what he tried to prove to the Lakers:
Fox: Mostly shooting. They pretty much know I can play point guard, kind of have a mid-range game, floaters. I can defend. So just try to go in and prove the things people don’t think I can do. But at the end of the day, I’m gonna have to go in and perform in games. What happens in the workout doesn’t really matter.
Q: On what he has learned about the NBA:
Fox: The pick-and-roll is different. The physicality — even the workout was more physical than college was. But I feel like I didn’t really have a difficult transition from high school to college. I know the transition from college to the NBA is a lot more difficult, but I feel like it’s nothing that I can’t really handle. A lot of guys have done it before me.
Q: On how much he has worked on his shooting:
Fox: When someone says something’s a weakness, you want to turn it into a strength. If there’s anything, it’s really my body and shooting. That’s what I’ve really been working on this summer.
Q: On if he watched Game 5 of the NBA Finals:
Fox: I actually didn’t watch the Finals last night. I probably saw like a quarter and a half. But when I was watching it, it was still a close game. I didn’t see a single second in the second half.
Q: On if he had dinner with the Lakers’ front office:
Fox: We’re actually gonna do lunch today. But I talked to them at the Combine. Today we’re just gonna sit down and get to know each other a little more. They saw the workout. [I’ll] just try to enjoy my time here.
Q: On his matchup against Lonzo Ball in the NCAA Tournament:
Fox: It doesn’t matter. Like I said, it’s college. We put that behind us. Kyrie [Irving] was the No. 1 pick. Isaiah Thomas was the last pick. And you see how that worked out: They’re both playing an extremely high level of basketball. College doesn’t really matter at this point.
Q: On if the Lakers talked to him about his defense:
Fox: Not today. We were just seeing what I can do. We didn’t talk about strengths too much. They wanted to see the weaknesses and try to attack that and make them a strength.
Q: On if he feels that his defense gives him an edge against the draft’s other point guards:
Fox: Yeah, but I’m extremely competitive and I want to beat my guy offensively and defensively. Like I said, just attacking the game in all different ways.
Q: On meeting with Magic Johnson:
Fox: Just his smile. When it’s time to get down to business, Magic can really get down to business. I see a lot of that in me. A lot of people see me smiling off the court, sometimes even in warmups you see me smiling. But in the game it’s about business. That’s one thing we have in common.
Q: On how he sees himself fitting in the NBA:
Fox: If I keep developing, I just want to be one of those elite point guards. Every night you’re playing against a tough point guard. Even some of the worst teams have some good point guards. The point guard is usually the best player on the team, especially in this division: Chris Paul, if [I] don’t come here D’Angelo [Russell], Steph [Curry], Phoenix has Eric [Bledsoe], Brandon [Knight]. So you know how the point guards are in this league. Day in and day out, you got to bring your A game or that person’s gonna come at you all the time.
Q: On doing his homework regarding NBA personnel:
Fox: As a fan, you really know what it’s about. But going into college I really started looking into the NBA more closely and see what really happens. Even before, I was looking at it that way. You turn on any game and you can really watch a point guard matchup.
Q: On if he’d rather do individual or group workouts:
Fox: I’d do either or. I’m just extremely competitive. I’ll be fine with it. I’ve been doing 1-on-0 workouts. Just attacking no matter what — even if you’re doing 1-on-0. At some point, playing in Summer League or the preseason, you’re going to get those guys anyway. You’re going to catch everybody.
Q: On why the Lakers should draft him:
Fox: Just that I’m an extreme competitor, good locker room guy. I never really bump heads with anybody. And just someone that tries to lead from the day I step in. Just try to earn the respect of the guys. You’re going to be younger — one of the youngest players on the team — but if you can earn the older guys’ respect that helps in a long way.
Q: On being a leader in college:
Fox: At Kentucky I was one of the youngest guys on the team, so I didn’t actually step into the role until two months into the season. I came in and didn’t really know what I was doing. I was letting other guys do it and kind of going along. Once I got into my groove, Coach [John Calipari] was like, ‘This is your team.’ That’s why I feel like toward the end of the season I was playing my best basketball, because all the coaches and even my teammates had confidence in me to lead them. When you’re teammates and coaches have confidence in you, you should have the ultimate confidence boost.
Q: On what Calipari told him about the NBA:
Fox: That it’s going to be extremely tough. There are no boys in this league. It’s only grown men. You’re gonna come in here and got to fight for spots. You can be the best player on the team, but people are always going to come at you — on your team and on other teams. It really gets the best out of you, especially if you’re extremely competitive.
Q: On which teams he has worked out for:
Fox: Just here and [Sacramento]. Probably have another one before the draft, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be out there at some point.