De'Aaron Fox holds the key to unlocking the Spurs’ championship dreams

This summer could be a tough one for San Antonio Spurs star De'Aaron Fox. His disastrous NBA Finals performance has drawn widespread criticism, with many Spurs fans wanting him to be traded.

That probably isn't going to happen, but the Spurs could still find themselves back in the NBA Finals despite him. CBS Sports' Sam Quinn points out that San Antonio is already talented enough to win a championship without Fox playing a big role.

There are two ways to take Quinn's hot take. The first is that San Antonio can succeed in spite of Fox, while the second is that he is more of a luxury, not a necessity.

De'Aaron Fox is a luxury, not a necessity for the Spurs

Being the glass-half-full kind of guy that I am, I choose to believe the latter. Fox isn't essential to winning a championship. Heck, the Spurs might have done better if he hadn't played in the NBA Finals against the Knicks.

Then again, if Fox were to have a bounce-back season and be a consistent second option, he would suddenly become crucial to the Spurs.

Given how much they are set to pay him, they need more from Fox. He will make at least $50 million each of the next five seasons, though he may only be the fourth-best player on the team at the moment. If they can maximize his strengths, then he could be the player that puts this team over the top.

Fox can make the difference in the Spurs' championship hopes

Fans blame Fox for costing the Spurs a championship. That may be fair, but he is also their best hope of winning a sixth title. Through the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs, he averaged 18.9 points but only 12.8 points in the NBA Finals.

Frankly, him averaging 18.9 points is below expectations for Fox, but there is hope that he can get back to being a 20-point-per-game scorer next season. The biggest factor in his dropoff has been his decline in speed. He simply has yet to show the same quickness he showed in Sacramento.

We saw how bad things can get after his ankle injury, but he is only 28 years old, so his decline in speed may not be permanent. Yet, if he can reclaim most of his quickness, then that means more shots at the rim rather than pull-up jumpers.

It's a small but important change in his game that has negatively impacted his scoring. If Fox can get back to attacking the paint, then he could reemerge as a star and make all the difference in the Spurs' championship hopes.

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