Kentucky guard De’Aaron Fox says he ‘shot the ball well’ in Lakers workout

EL SEGUNDO — The previous 75 minutes had entailed exercises that tested his conditioning, accuracy and competitiveness. Moments after, Kentucky guard De’Aaron Fox rattled off what he believed gave him a passing grade for his private workout with the Lakers on Tuesday at their practice facility .

“I felt like I shot the ball well,” Fox said. “I showed I can play point guard, getting up and down the court. Even if I was fatigued, I felt like I could probably do it.”

Fox represents the third player the Lakers watched in an individual workout whom they would consider for their No. 2 pick, which also includes UCLA guard Lonzo Ball and Kansas guard Josh Jackson. Before the Lakers would bring Jackson in for a second workout Tuesday at their practice facility, Fox said he believed he addressed his weaknesses and highlighted his strengths.

Though Fox averaged 16.7 points on 52 percent shooting during his lone season with the Wildcats, and also shot only 24.6 percent from 3-point range. The 6-foot-3, 187-pound Fox said he has since devoted most of his training toward bulking up and improving his shooting accuracy.

“I can shoot the ball well. I stay in the gym. I’ve always been a gym rat,” said Fox, who also worked out with Sacramento and plans to work out for another undisclosed team. “I’ve always been working on my shot. That’s one thing. Coming in, I’m a fighter. Even though I’m tired, I have my hands up on my knees. But you’re still going to get the most out of me.”

Some on the Lakers who watched Ball’s workout last week said they thought he struggled with his conditioning. That rarely has been an issue with Fox, who is considered the best defender in this year’s draft class. He also has impressed NBA talent evaluators with his speed and aggressiveness.

Though Fox did not have the opportunity to fully showcase those skills in an individual workout, he believed he compensated when he played and defended the Lakers’ assistant coaches.

“I was prepared for it,” Fox said. “I felt like I attacked the workout pretty well today.”

The Lakers have insisted they have kept an open mind on whom they will select with their No. 2 pick. Still, the sentiment around most NBA circles suggests they will select Ball. Most NBA mock drafts project the Boston Celtics selecting Washington guard Markelle Fultz with the No 1 pick.

Does Fox draw any motivation from that commentary?

“Yeah, you can say that with anybody,” Fox said. “But right now, I’m just worried about myself. I’m not worried about those other guys.”

Fox then downplayed if the general public has not fully appreciated certain parts of his game.

“I think there are. But at the end of the day, we’re all going to play basketball and going to get drafted no matter what,” Fox said. “Where we’re playing, you want to see the NBA career. College is over. I just put that behind me.”

That also explains why Fox said he made little of outperforming Ball in the Wildcats’ Sweet 16 win over the Bruins in late March. Fox scored 39 points, a record for a freshman in the NCAA Tournament, while Ball had 10 points, eight assists and four turnovers.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s college. You put that behind us,” Fox said. “Kyrie (Irving) was the No. 1 pick and Isaiah Thomas was the last pick. So you see how that worked out. They’re both playing extremely high level of basketball. That doesn’t really matter. College doesn’t really matter at this point.”

So, what matters?

Fox believed that centers on two things.

One part involved leadership. Though he led the Wildcats to the Elite 8, Fox said it wasn’t until 2½ months into the season that Kentucky coach John Calipari told Fox, “This is your team.” While he attributed that heightened role to his work ethic and production, Fox also credited the vote of confidence for elevating his game. Fox said he planned to have the same mindset in the NBA.

“I’m an extreme competitor, good locker room guy and never really bump heads with anybody,” Fox said. “I’m someone that can lead and earn the respect from the guys. You’ll be one of the youngest guys on the team. So if you earn the guys’ respect, that helps in a long way.”

The second component entailed how he would match up against the NBA’s elite point guards, including Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Damian Lillard and Eric Bledsoe. Fox also listed Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell as one of those players in case the Lakers pass on Fox.

“I want to be one of those elite point guards. In the league every night, you’re playing against a top point guard. The best point guard usually is the best player on the team,” Fox said. “Day in and day out, you have to bring your ‘A’ game or that person is going to come at you all the time.”

Fox believed he showed those qualities in his workout. Yet, he remained mindful of the limitations a team can learn in an individual workout.

“I’m going to have to perform in games,” Fox said. “What happens in a workout doesn’t even matter.”