De'Aaron Fox's overreliance on his floater is a bad sign for the Spurs

No San Antonio Spurs player will have more pressure on them than De'Aaron Fox, whose best skill may actually be a glaring flaw. Fox is set to start a max contract this season, but is coming off an awful NBA Finals.

Still, Fox shot an impressive 53.6 percent on floaters on 1.5 attempts per game last season, making him one of the best in the NBA at that shot.

That's an impressive number, but it could be a double-edged sword for the Spurs.

After all, Fox wasn't nearly as dynamic with the ball in his hands last season and got to the rim far less than before. He settled for more threes, mid-range jumpers, and even floaters.

Shooting a great percentage on floaters—which is a traditionally tough shot—might actually be a bad sign for Fox as a result. For one, it suggests that he isn't quick enough to get to the basket for higher-percentage shots. That could spell trouble for San Antonio.

De'Aaron Fox settling for floaters means he's getting to the rim less

The lure of having Fox is that he is elite at carving up defenses and finishing at the basket using his quickness and craftiness. If he continues to be a jump shooter and settles for floaters rather than getting to the rim, he will fail in San Antonio.

The Spurs didn't max Fox out to be a jump shooter who also takes floaters over layups. They thought they'd be getting someone who can get into the paint at will, finish, or pass to open shooters.

San Antonio appears willing to give Fox more time to figure things out. Still, he'll have to show significant improvement, and he can't be nearly as passive as he was last season.

The Spurs need the old De'Aaron Fox

To start last year, he had a hot shooting streak that helped mask his waning speed. His shot then regressed to the mean, and his scoring dropped like a stone, going from averaging 23.9 points over the first 17 games to 18.8 points on the year.

In a vacuum, Fox shooting a high percentage on floaters is fine, but shot distribution needs to change.

In 2024-25, he shot 65.8 percent on 243 attempts in the restricted area and 65.5 percent on 284 attempts within five feet. Compare that to last season, where he shot just 56.1 percent on 66 attempts in the restricted area and 51.3 percent on 76 attempts within five feet.

Never mind the drop in percentage; he went from taking 4.6 shots within five feet of the basket to just one per game last season. That's a shocking drop-off, and it's not like he was playing injured. Fortunately, he's still in his twenties, so a bounce-back is possible.

A reenergized Fox, with his quickness restored, could be the biggest difference from last season, with San Antonio definitely banking on it.

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