Mitch Johnson is unlocking the Wemby and De’Aaron Fox pairing with surprise twist

With Victor Wembanyama starting once again for the San Antonio Spurs, they are now officially back at full strength. The first topic of business should be for Wembanyama and fellow star De'Aaron Fox to develop a two-man game in the pick and roll.

That is still a work in progress, with them having yet to share the floor consistently. Nevertheless, coach Mitch Johnson has still experimented with other ways to maximize his two stars playing alongside one another.

The Spurs have been using actions where Wembanyama sets off-ball screens for Fox to get him going downhill. Fox is already among the fastest players in the NBA, but using off-ball screens to get him a head of steam going to the rim is a great way for him to attack the paint.

Using him in those actions has freed him up to play more off-ball. It can also free Wembanyama up too, with Fox drawing attention away from him, allowing him to get open from three or roll to the basket and finish a lob.

Thus far, Fox has only assisted on 15 Wembanyama-made shots this season. But considering that they haven't played that much together, it's an encouraging start.

When those two share the floor together, they boast a 119.2 offensive rating and a plus 16.9 net rating. That isn't surprising with the Spurs dominating when their two best players share the court.

Mitch Johnson is unlocking the Wemby and De’Aaron Fox pairing

What is surprising is that Steph Castle has been the primary ball handler when he plays alongside Fox. That is another interesting twist that Coach Johnson has incorporated. With Fox drilling a career-high 39.4% of his 6.13 three-point attempts per game, he has helped to space the floor more than initially expected.

That means that when Castle handles the ball, he has four shooters to pass to: Fox, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, and Wembanyama. It also works to cover up Castle's lack of shooting.

After all, teams can't trap him with Wembanyama or Barnes setting screens. Also, going under on screens still means that Castle would only have to beat one defender to get to the rack with a full head of steam.

If opposing teams cheat off of Fox, he has consistently made them pay by burying open threes or attacking the paint with an open runway. The Oklahoma City Thunder saw firsthand how potent that could be, with him dropping 29 points by hitting four threes and attacking closeouts.

With Wembanyama now back starting, expect more off-ball screens between those two to free up Fox. That puts him in the best position to score and has allowed the Spurs offense to thrive by playing to their strengths.