De'Aaron Fox's start with the San Antonio Spurs is giving the early optimists plenty to feel good about. Through the opening stretch of the season, he's putting up 17.3 points, 8.3 assists, and 2 steals per game, numbers that don't scream headline-grabber at first glance but tell a much better story once you watch how he's playing.
The biggest change is simple: Fox looks sharper. His decision-making has been cleaner, and the burst that once made him such a nightmare to stay in front of is showing up again.
Against the Dallas Mavericks, that showed up in a 19-point, 9-assist night. He was getting to the paint with ease, finishing at the rim, and kicking out to open shooters when defenders collapsed.
That regained speed has also made life easier for Victor Wembanyama. Fox has been feeding him easy looks, including several pinpoint alley-oops, and the passing may be the most encouraging part of Fox's early-season work. Even though he's known first and foremost as a scorer, he has been the Spurs' best passer so far this season, which stands out even more on a roster that includes two other point guards.
The shot has been cooperating too. Fox has been finishing drives, and his 3-point touch has been there to open the season.
For a player whose max contract has drawn scrutiny, this kind of response matters. It rewards the fans who believed he would settle in and thrive with San Antonio.
What makes Fox so valuable is how many jobs he's handling at once. He's the key to making the three-point-guard setup function, because he's the most complete playmaker and scorer in the group and also the most experienced. With Stephon Castle sometimes getting loose with the ball, Fox gives the Spurs a steadier hand and helps limit turnovers.
Wembanyama is still the center of everything San Antonio wants to do, and Castle plus Dylan Harper remain vital to the future. But if the Spurs are going to chase a championship this season, Fox is the swing piece. He is the difference maker.
A more engaged Fox almost feels like extra credit for San Antonio. The team is good enough to compete even without him at this level, but with him operating like this, the ceiling rises. More pick-and-rolls with Wembanyama have already started to show up, and that two-man game could become a real weapon if it keeps developing.
Those alley-oops are helping Wembanyama, but they help Fox too. Defenders have to account for the attention Wembanyama draws as both a floor spacer and a roll man, which opens lanes for Fox to get downhill.
In Sacramento, scoring was his primary calling card. In San Antonio, he's being asked to do more, and he's answering.
That includes defense. Fox has been more active on that end, helping the Spurs close out on shooters, generate turnovers, and run in transition. He leads the team in steals, a reminder that his value goes well beyond points and assists.
He may never fully justify every dollar of that max deal, but if this level holds, the Spurs will be in much better shape 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 🡒]