By Mark Haynes | OBSERVER Correspondent
Since Mike Brown arrived in Sacramento as coach of the Kings, the objective has been to get the most out of his players. Leading by example is how he connected with his team and gained the players’ trust. Running sprints with the guys in practice and challenging them to match his energy has been both infectious and beneficial.
The individual who perhaps benefited most from Brown’s presence is De’Aaron Fox. This season the Kings guard averaged 25 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, earning him his first All-Star Game bid. And on Tuesday, Fox also became the first player to win the Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year trophy for points — and victories — in the last five minutes of close games.
Fox’s achievements can’t be separated from the fantastic job Brown has done in his first year with the team. After coaching some of basketball’s biggest stars and winning multiple championships as an assistant, Brown has brought a winning culture to Sacramento.
The Kings won 48 games under his direction, earning them the No. 3 seed in the playoffs and breaking the longest postseason drought in NBA history, which is why he was named NBA Coach of the Year. Brown was selected unanimously — became the first coach to garner 100 out of 100 first-place votes for the award.
As this historic season unfolds, good things just keep getting better. As of press time, the Kings lead the defending champion Golden State Warriors 2-0 in their first-round series. Each game had its own identity: one was an offensive shootout decided in the final seconds and the second was determined by defense and physicality. Brown’s decision to play Davion “Off Night” Mitchell 28 minutes, most of them on Stephen Curry, paid off as Mitchell scored 14 points and helped keep Curry in check to finish with a plus-3 net rating. Meanwhile, Fox scored 11 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, including key buckets in the last five minutes.