The NBA has no answer for the Spurs’ newest offensive weapon

As the regular season winds down, the San Antonio Spurs are undoubtedly looking ahead to the NBA playoffs. There, they will soon unveil their secret weapon.

Despite having two stars in De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama, those two haven't developed the two-man game that many fans envisioned. However, a Fox and Wembanyama pick-and-roll has worked well when they have used it.

In fact, since February 1st, they have run approximately 100 pick-and-rolls—or nearly five per game—and lead the NBA in points per possession for that play type.

Well, if it's working so well, then why hasn't it been a staple of the Spurs' offense? Let's find out!

Spurs must maximize a Fox and Wembanyama pick-and-roll paring

Some of that has been due to injuries, with Fox missing nine games that Wembanyama has played.

Meanwhile, Wembanyama has missed 15 games that Fox has played. That's resulted in them having less time than many might think to perfect a pick-and-roll attack.

This is especially true with Fox often playing off-ball while Stephon Castle serves as the primary playmaker. Castle and Wembanyama already have excellent pick-and-roll chemistry, but Fox and Wemby aren't far behind. That's a problem for the rest of the NBA.

A Fox and Wembanyama pick-and-roll attack is impossible to stop

Both Fox and Wembanyama are expected to play big minutes in the playoffs, which means they will be sharing the floor more than they have thus far. San Antonio may also rely more on Fox's playmaking, with his ballhandling and speed being able to break down defenses.

That potentially means more Fox and Wembanyama pick-and-rolls. We've already seen Wembanyama rolling more to the basket, which has freed up shooters on the perimeter with his gravity collapsing defenses.

Now imagine how potent that could be with Fox serving as the ballhandler in the pick and roll. He's a better shooter than Castle, and while Castle is bigger, stronger, and more athletic, Fox is far faster.

He can attack the paint, forcing Wembanyama's man to slide over and cut off the drive while leaving a 7'4" shooter open from outside. Even if teams try to switch the pick and rolls, Wembanyama can roll to the basket.

A Fox and Wembanyama one-two punch may be unstoppable

Fox can find him for an alley-oop. Or can take advantage of a potential mismatch by attacking the paint or isoing on the perimeter.

There is even the possibility of off-ball screens. Wemby can set picks that frees up Fox to turn the corner and get into the paint while Wembanyama short rolls to the rim.

Or, the Spurs can get tricky by having Fox set off-ball screens for Wembanyama. That could free Wemby up for a mid-range jumper to get him moving toward the basket without a defender glued to him.

The possibilities are endless. That's what makes a Fox and Wembanyama one-two punch San Antonio's best offensive option ahead of the playoffs.