De'Aaron Fox's ankle became the excuse—but it ignores a larger problem

The most polarizing conversations in Spurs Nation this offseason are centered around De'Aaron Fox. Most focus on his NBA Finals performance and how the former Sacramento franchise player left much to be desired. But we can't discuss the Knicks series without acknowledging his ankle injury. It wouldn't be fair.

However, what if we take a closer look at what was happening before Ayo Dosunmu careened into his lower leg in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals? The numbers suggest the concerns should have already been there, revealing a potentially larger problem.

Fox's playoff efficiency was concerning before the ankle injury

Through the first nine games of San Antonio's postseason run, Fox was averaging 19 points on 44% FG, 26% 3PT, and 51% FT. That's not really what the Spurs were hoping for when they traded for the former Clutch Player of the Year.

He only shot 42% in his only playoff appearance before arriving in the Alamo City in a seven-game series against the Warriors, so technically, his field goal percentage was an improvement. But the dynamics here are much different from those when he led the Kings' offense.

Swipa no longer carries the burdens of being the main scorer or the engine of the team. Victor Wembanyama takes the most shots now, and Stephon Castle initiates the offense, putting Fox in a position to take advantage of reactive defenses. He wasn't doing enough of that even before the sprained ankle.

Really, it should have been the easiest playoff environment a player of his caliber has ever walked into, but it wasn't reflected in the results. That, alone, raises questions, but the shot profile actually makes the mystery even stranger.

The Spurs' process for Fox was nearly flawless but he couldn't capitalize

Nearly 54% of Fox's attempts were either open or wide open, yet he only converted 39% of those looks. That tells us that San Antonio's offensive attack worked as intended. If a former 25-point-per-game scorer is getting open shots over half the time, the offense is doing something right.

He was getting clean looks, whether he was pulling up off the dribble in the short to midrange area or getting catch-and-shoot opportunities. The shot diet was extremely healthy, but the role must still be a shock to his system because he couldn't consistently get the ball to go down.

That makes solving the problem much more complex. His teammates and coach can't do much more to get him easy looks. He just needs to make them.

If you take the optimistic view, knowing that the Spurs don't need to reinvent their offense is a good thing. They created quality opportunities for Fox throughout the playoffs. There's no reason why that won't continue.

However, if the Silver and Black want to finish their championship chase off with a victory, they need the best version of Fox in May and June. Not just from October through April.

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