Mitch Johnson reveals De'Aaron Fox's status for Game 2 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

De'Aaron Fox will be a game-time decision tomorrow night for Game 2 in Oklahoma City once again, Mitch Johnson told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. Fox was injured in Game 4 in the second round of the playoffs against the Timberwolves when Ayo Dosunmu fell on top of his leg. He's been nursing his right ankle ever since.

The Spurs won Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals without Swipa, but his presence would be a huge boost for the offense. The Silver and Black turned the ball over way too often, and that's a dangerous game against OKC. Stephon Castle had 11 of them, and those would be reduced with another ballhandler to rely on against the pressure defense this opponent constantly plays with.

Ball security wouldn't be the only benefit, though. The ex-Sacramento star will present several issues to the Thunder's defense, particularly since he has a co-star playing like Victor Wembanyama.

Fox's return would be a huge problem for OKC

I wouldn't go as far as to say the players or coaches on the Thunder's side are happy Fox is injured, but they certainly aren't crying about it. The blazing-quick playmaker scored 22 and 29 points against this team in two of their first three meetings during the regular season. His speed is just a problem that's difficult to deal with because he knows how to weaponize it at the right times.

Credit to Oklahoma City; they prevented the Spurs from getting out and running the fast break. Mitch Johnson's ball club is known for pushing the pace to create easy scoring opportunities. They only scored seven fast-break points in Game One. Reinserting Fox into the lineup will help in that area. When those feet start chopping, there are few in the league who can keep pace.

Even if the Thunder retreat well enough, Swipa's ability to get up court so quickly puts pressure on defenses to collapse early in the possession, opening the floor for shooters to get great looks in rhythm. It can also force mismatches, as the opponent scrambles to get anyone in front of the ball handler.

When one of your teammates is Wembanyama, OKC will be forced to make impossible decisions. How will you stop a speeding Fox when he's dashing to the basket while trying to crowd Vic so the Alien doesn't get easy looks to get going again? The last thing they'll want is for Vic to get going again.

I don't know what they'll do, but thankfully, I'm not the one who must create a game plan to stop the unstoppable. That's Mark Daigneault's job. I wish him luck.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow