De'Aaron Fox is suddenly more important than ever as Spurs' wild offseason unfolds

The San Antonio Spurs have successfully upgraded a team that made the NBA Finals last season with their moves this summer. But, for them to win it all next season, they'll need star De'Aaron Fox to actually play like a star.

Fox had a roller-coaster first full season with the Spurs. He went from looking like a perfect fit early on, when the team was without Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, to being progressively more inconsistent.

He never quite looked like peak Fox from his Sacramento Kings days. Instead, he settled for mid-range jumpers and off-the-dribble threes rather than getting to the rim.

For a while, it worked, with him averaging 22.4 points while shooting 39.5% from three over his first 20 games of the season. Unfortunately, his jumper stopped falling consistently enough to offset his lack of finishing at the rim, and that exposed a larger problem.

The Spurs are asking De'Aaron Fox to play a role he can't succeed in

Although last season boiled down to his awful play in the NBA Finals, that overlooks the fact that he was still San Antonio's second-leading scorer. On a 62-win team no less.

That's despite him not playing anywhere near his best basketball with Fox having plenty of untapped potential in the Spurs' offense. The simplest solution may not be all that popular, however.

He played more off-ball than at any point in his NBA career last season. While it helped Stephon Castle grow as a playmaker, it hurt Fox's play.

During that 10-game span last season without Wembanyama and Castle, Fox averaged a stellar 26.8 points and 6.9 assists. That's a far cry from the 18.8 points and 6.1 assists he averaged over the entire season.

It's clear that by having a Fox play off-ball, it dramatically limits his effectiveness.

The Spurs must make Fox a focal point of the offense

On the other hand, having him as the primary ballhandler only raises San Antonio's ceiling. Adding players such as Tarris Reed Jr. and Tobias Harris is great, but the best way for this team to improve is to get more out of Fox.

We already know from last season that he shouldn't play the same role. Instead, coach Mitch Johnson must get him more involved in the offense next season. A good place to start is by having him run more pick-and-rolls.

Last season, he and Wembanyama ran far fewer pick and rolls then expected. That was mainly due to Castle operating in that role. To Castle's credit, he was a fantastic pick and roll partner with Wembanyama but Fox didn't get the same opportunity.

Having him in that role would make it easier for him to get to his spots, particularly the floater range and mid-range. Better yet, if his speed returns, that could lead to more shots at the rim, something that was sorely lacking from his shot diet last season.

If the Spurs can get a better version of the Fox they got last season, then that could make all the difference as they attempt to win it all next season.

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