Critic’s harsh De’Aaron Fox warning doesn’t hold up under fire

We've nearly heard it all when it comes to criticisms of De'Aaron Fox's contract. "He's not a top 25 player." "They didn't expect to land Harper, so they should move Fox and go young." "They don't have enough shooting to justify keeping Fox." Blah, blah, blah. They're going to have to eat their words. Those concerns have been addressed. But there's a new one that's going to drive Spurs fans nuts.

Bleacher Report's Dan Favale came up with a list of contracts that will "look terrible in two years," and Fox was on the list. Part of his rationale went as follows: "Something about quick-burst point guards rounding into their 30s sets off alarm bells. De'Aaron Fox has more craft than someone relying purely on blow-by speed, but his tempo and rim pressure are cruxes of his appeal."

This opinion, while not completely without merit, isn't really fair in D. Fox's case, and there are several reasons why.

Fox isn't the average speedy guard

Favale acknowledges the craftiness of D. Fox's game, but it wasn't enough to deter the overall opinion that landed San Antonio's new guard on the list. It should have. Speed is his strongest physical trait, but his mind is the true weapon. He's figured out how to get into the paint, get to his spots, and get his shot off at will. He doesn't just rely on outrunning guys because that's not enough.

He's been an excellent pick-and-roll player throughout his career, and he has the ultimate PNR man to play off. Victor Wembanyama is the feature presentation in this film, and he'll draw the most attention. No matter how fast Fox is, he'll have space to be effective, and as long as he makes the right decisions, he'll be an extremely valuable member of this team.

Besides, he's currently the fastest player in the league with the ball in his hands. Let's say he does lose a step, hypothetically, he's still going to be among the quickest in the NBA. I wouldn't think that his game would change radically under those circumstances. He'll maintain his ability as a one-man fast break for at least another four to five years.

Finally, this section reads like Spurs fans should expect Fox to hit some sort of wall at 29 years old. Players enter their primes at about the age that he's currently at (27), and it maintains until they're about 32. That's when the contract ends. There's actually no real reason to believe this contract will age poorly, especially in two years. That's just not fair.