De'Aaron Fox injury comes at the worst time for the Spurs

The NBA season hasn't even started, but the San Antonio Spurs already have injury problems. First came the news that second overall pick Dylan Harper may miss the start of the season with a thumb injury. Now comes news that star De'Aaron Fox will miss time with a hamstring injury.

Fox is unlikely to start the season for the Spurs, which is quietly a big blow to the team. He isn't expected back until the start of November, which would mean that he'd miss the team's first five games of the season.

Even then, there would likely be several games in which San Antonio ramps up his minutes.That means it could be weeks into the season before he is playing 30+ minutes per game.

Fox mentioned that he believes he's ready to play. Nevertheless, the Spurs are being cautious, which, after seeing what happened with Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton in the playoffs, is probably wise.

Even so, Fox and Wembanyama have played just five games together and barely got a chance to develop on-court chemistry.

De'Aaron Fox missing the start of the season will hurt the Spurs

With Fox not being able to play in the preseason and the first few games of the regular season, it would only delay his integration into the team.

The Spurs had a similar problem last season with Devin Vassell missing the first three weeks of the season and then being on a minutes restriction for another nine games before finally starting. He never looked quite right as a result. Hopefully Fox won't have the same problems this season.

The sooner he can get back to full strength, the sooner we can see how well he and Wembanyama play together. That is something Spurs fans should be eager to see.

After all, in theory, Fox and Wembanyama could make for a lethal pick-and-roll pairing. Fox can turn the corner on screens set by Wembanyama. The opposing center will have to decide between trying to keep Fox from getting into the paint or giving Wembanyama a wide-open three.

They need Fox healthy to unleash the Fox and Wembanyama one-two punch

That could be a nightmare decision for teams with most playing with only a rim protector. That means that Fox could often have a clear runway to the rim when surrounded by enough shooting.

Even if teams try to keep Fox out of the paint, he is a capable mid-range shooter with blinding speed and terrific handles, allowing him to knife his way to the rim. Leaving Wembanyama open isn't a better option.

Although he shot 35.3% from three last season, which was technically below average, he took a lot of his threes from a couple feet behind the top of the arc. That means he was often taking 25-27 footers, and other big men would have to cover a lot of ground to challenge his shots.

If everything goes right, both stars could help each other reach another level. First, they have to get Fox healthy.

Overall, Fox missing the first few games of the season could have bigger ramifications for the Spurs. It could mean that he and San Antonio get off to slower-than-expected starts, but keeping Fox healthy for the long run should be the goal considering just how important he is to the team.