De’Aaron Fox, the most important player on the San Antonio Spurs, is sidelined with hamstring injuries. For him, that places his beginning of the new NBA season very much in doubt. The Spurs were coming off a brutal campaign, one that ended with franchise superstar Victor Wembanyama’s season abruptly ended. He was again sidelined when deep vein thrombosis was discovered in his right shoulder. The talented team is now at the mercy of fortune in the first part of the season without two of its stars.
Victor Wembanyama, universally considered the top prospect since LeBron James, was stopped from making player-of-the-year strides after a stellar freshman year. His injury last season prevented the Spurs from starting to build an on-court culture and chemistry. In 17 games last year, De’Aaron Fox averaged 19.7 points and 6.8 assists. He has since officially signed, joining the Spurs via a complicated three-team trade that featured several players and draft picks.
Fox suited up for the Spurs for the first time last February, but there was plenty of excitement over the prospect of him developing a synergistic connection with Wembanyama. The two players played together for only five games. Wembanyama got hurt, ending his season prematurely.
In the last few days, Fox has cast uncertainty on his availability for the season opener. He made it official by announcing that he will not play in the preseason. Earlier in the offseason he famously questioned whether the new arena would be ready for opening night.
“I definitely won’t be playing in the preseason, that’s for sure.” – De’Aaron Fox
Even though he is nervous about returning for the beginning of the season, Fox insists that he physically feels ready to get back on the court.
“I don’t think I’ll be ready for opening night. But we’re going to play it by ear. I feel like I can play right now. But I don’t have that [medical] expertise. I’m not going to lie to you: I was running 15 mph already [on a treadmill]. I think that’s probably faster than most of the guys that are here. So, when I say I think I’m ready, I for real think I’m ready.” – De’Aaron Fox
The Spurs medical staff and organization are certainly paying careful attention to Fox’s health as they plot their course for next season. Today, the team is at a critical inflection point. With both Fox and Wembanyama’s health in question, their impact on the league is a question mark.
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