De'Aaron Fox just gave a hundred-round drum of ammo to Spurs critics

This game was played in a phone booth, but the dated telecommunications hub is supposed to be a changing room for Clark Kent to turn into Superman. That's what Spurs Nation hoped for when Victor Wembanyama went down with a concussion. That's why San Antonio signed the former Sacramento King to a max contract this summer—a deal that was widely criticized, and he just gave the critics more to talk about.

Swipa didn't have a horrible game, but the finish to the night was lackluster, to say the least. The speedy guard didn't score in the last five minutes of the ball game, and offense is the reason he's here. The rest of the ballhandlers are young guys. They, and the coaching staff, need to have trust that Fox can deliver when the win is there to be had. Wemby or not, they should have closed that game.

Fox poured gasoline on a fire that never went out

You would think that San Antonio's successful season was enough not to really question much about their strategy and personnel, but that's not the case. The naysayers have been consistent since Fox signed his deal. They don't believe this team needs him, and the funds can be better allocated to find a more traditional fit.

It's no secret that D. Fox isn't a sniper from outside, and space is at a premium in the NBA. He ended up being more serviceable than some expected for most of the year. But we'd be lying if we didn't acknowledge that there are more suitable role players they could have added to the roster if they were just going to stick Fox in the corner for most of the season.

The Silver and Black were able to completely ignore those criticisms because they were successful. They have immensely talented young guards on the team who need live reps to reach their peaks. San Antonio perfectly balanced winning with that goal and earned the second overall seed because of it.

However, now is the time for Swipa to earn his bread and four fouls with three turnovers, and no buckets at the end of a playoff game won't get it done. Wemby and Harrison Barnes went down in this game. The refs forgot how to do their jobs properly. The odds were certainly stacking against this ball club, and yet the game was in hand until it wasn't.

Deni Avdija only scored 13 points tonight. The Trail Blazers are not known for offense and shouldn't be winning games when their best player has a night that bad—Wemby or no Wemby. It's no reason to give up on Fox. It's one game. Let's not be overly dramatic. But in the first moment when his team needed him most, he faltered. He'll have to make up for that.

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