The newly-acquired guard passed the eye test with flying colors, scoring 28 points, dishing out seven assists and grabbing six rebounds. He shot an extremely efficient 9-for-14 shooting, scoring 24 points on the night! Fox was back on the field for the first time in eight months due to a right hamstring injury. It’ll be his first game back since March 12. The Spurs can’t wait to have him back. They had brought him on board in a three-team deal with the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls on Feb. 5.
Fox’s debut was especially impressive given that he was playing next to Victor Wembanyama for just the sixth time. This collaboration represents an exciting new era for the Spurs, as the talented big man pairs well with the 6’10” versatile forward. And 18 points and 18 rebounds the same game from rookie phenom Wembanyama demonstrate his high-ceiling play paired with the decorated veteran guard’s steadiness.
The return of Fox injects talent into what has quickly become one of the hottest teams in the Spurs’ young season. During their most recent meeting, eight players reached double digits. All this coordination helped contribute to a second straight win with Fox and Wembanyama sharing the floor.
Fox accepted responsibility for not only his successful return, but the contributions made by medical personnel in Fox’s recovery journey.
“For me, as a player and as a competitor, obviously I want to get out there. But I’m listening to (the medical staff) and they have the best interest for me because obviously I signed a contract to be here long term, so they want to protect the asset and make sure the asset is ready when I’m out there. So, for me, it was just trusting that, trusting the process and I feel like we did a great job this summer and up in the early parts of the season.” – De’Aaron Fox
Before his offseason injury, Fox had never experienced hamstring problems. The player with the fracture was playing in a five-on-five pickup game when he sustained the injury. Yet his extended absence from the court has further raised expectations about his imminent return. Then, on August 5, the Spurs signed Fox to a four-year extension. This trade goes a long way in affirming their commitment to developing the best possible team around him and Wembanyama.
Fox’s basketball IQ was on full display throughout his first appearance. He showed real poise and skill despite being away for some 4+ months. As perfect an athlete as Patrick Mahomes is, he found out that great players, no matter how great, get rusty with time off.
“I mean, I’m good at basketball. So, you can still have rust and be able to do that.” – De’Aaron Fox
Fox compared Wembanyama to NBA superstar and two-time league MVP Steph Curry. He highlighted Curry’s ability to create the best possible shots for his teammates simply by existing on the court.
“He’s one of those guys like Steph Curry. There’s not a lot of people like that that just have that type of gravity when they don’t have the ball. Vic is one of those guys and he opens it up for everybody else.” – De’Aaron Fox
Fox is on his way back into the lineup, and Spurs fans should be excited. They’re excited about the amazing things this dynamic duo can do together. With this potent combination of Fox’s icy leadership and Wembanyama’s unprecedented emerging talent, we could be looking at a fascinating season for San Antonio.
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