De’Aaron Fox has wasted no time reminding the Spurs why they brought him in.
Through the opening stretch of the 2026-27 season, Fox has been San Antonio’s most effective offensive weapon, putting up 17.3 points, 8.3 assists and 2 steals per game. Those numbers don’t scream superstardom on their own, but the eye test tells a much clearer story: he looks sharper, quicker and far more in control than he did in the NBA Finals.
That’s not exactly a high hurdle to clear, but Fox has cleared it with room to spare. His decision-making has been cleaner, his burst has returned and he’s once again getting downhill with ease.
Against the Dallas Mavericks, that showed up in a 19-point, 9-assist outing. He’s been able to slice into the paint, finish at the rim and kick the ball out to open shooters before the defense can fully load up.
The result has been a quieting of the early worries around his max contract and a pretty satisfying payoff for the fans who thought his fit in San Antonio would eventually click.
The passing may be the biggest development of all. Fox has done a steady job of setting up Victor Wembanyama, especially with pinpoint alley oops that have turned into easy baskets. For a player best known as a scorer, he has actually been the Spurs’ best passer so far, and that becomes even more notable when you remember he’s doing it alongside two other point guards.
That matters for San Antonio’s setup. Fox is the glue for the three-point guard look, the most seasoned playmaker and scorer in the group, and the one most capable of keeping the offense organized. Stephon Castle’s tendency to get sloppy with the ball only makes Fox more valuable, because he’s helping the Spurs trim down turnovers and stabilize possessions.
Wembanyama remains the clear centerpiece, and Castle plus Dylan Harper are still major pieces of the long-term picture. But if the Spurs are talking about a championship run this season, Fox is the swing piece.
He’s also giving San Antonio something extra, which is the best version of this story for the Spurs. They already have enough talent to stay in the mix without him at his best. With him playing like this, they start to look like something more.
The pick-and-roll work with Wembanyama has already started to take shape, and those alley-oops have hinted at a two-man game that has been teased but never fully opened up. Fox can attack the attention Wembanyama draws as both a floor spacer and roll man, then turn that pressure into paint touches and scoring chances of his own.
Back in Sacramento, scoring was his main calling card. In San Antonio, he’s been asked to do a lot more.
He’s scoring, passing and defending, and he has answered on the other end too. His activity has helped the Spurs close out on shooters, create turnovers and get into transition.
He also leads the team in steals, which says plenty about the kind of impact he’s making beyond the box score. Fox may never fully justify the max contract in the way some imagined, but if this version sticks, the Spurs are going to be much better for it.
In Other News...
Spurs First Win May Have Changed Wemby's Backup Picture
The Spurs first win of the season came with a little more than relief, because it also gave the staff a fresh look at who might soak up minutes behind Victor Wembanyama. In the 122-106 victory over Dallas, Wembanyama did most of the heavy lifting with 23 points, seven rebounds and five steals, attacking the paint with the kind of force San Antonio has wanted to see more often.
Lost in the final score was the debut of Tarris Reed, who got into the game for six minutes and managed two points and three rebounds. It was a small sample, but the opportunity itself mattered, especially for a team still sorting out the center rotation around Wembanyama and trying to find a reliable backup option who can hold the fort when he sits. [Read more 🡒]
Stephon Castle May Have Given Spurs Lineup Exactly What It Needed
The Spurs finally got into the win column with a 122-106 result over the Mavericks, and Stephon Castle was a big reason the night looked so much smoother. He scored 19 points, knocked down three triples and handed out eight assists, a mix of shot-making and playmaking that gave San Antonio a more dynamic feel on offense.
Castles versatility stood out because it helped the Spurs keep Dallas from settling in defensively and gave the group a cleaner rhythm throughout the game. For a team still sorting out its best combinations early in the season, that kind of two-way offensive blend can be the difference between looking stuck and looking like a lineup worth sticking with. [Read more 🡒]
Tarris Reed Jr. May Force His Way Into Spurs Minutes Fast
Tarris Reed Jr. arrived in San Antonio with a clear purpose, and the preseason only sharpened that idea. The rookie big man averaged 9.2 rebounds in 17 minutes per game, giving the Spurs an early look at the kind of interior presence they were targeting when they brought him in on draft night to help fill the need for a third center.
What makes Reed interesting is how quickly he could become more than an insurance option. His value starts on the glass, especially offensively, where his energy and positioning can swing possessions, and his role could expand depending on the health of the other centers ahead of him. For a Spurs team still sorting out its frontcourt depth, Reed has already done enough to make himself hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]