Spurs just learned De'Aaron Fox lesson the rest of the NBA already knew

The San Antonio Spurs found out exactly why De’Aaron Fox isn’t a max player in the NBA Finals. On the biggest stage, Fox averaged 12.8 points, 6.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 36.6 minutes per game. He shot just 34.3 percent from the field and 25.0 percent on his 3-point attempts. Fox was playing through an ankle injury, but the Spurs are about to pay him $221.7 million over the next four years. In the second apron era, Fox isn’t worth a max deal.

San Antonio wanted a veteran point guard to lead their young core. Fox positioned himself to be dealt to the Spurs and convinced his new team to give him a max contract. They got an All-Star, but Swipa has never been viewed as a superstar. Head coach Mitch Johnson backed Fox through his struggles, even when Dylan Harper was clearly the better option. With the rookie ready to take on a bigger role, San Antonio faces some difficult questions.

The Spurs got Fox to do exactly what a max player does. They needed someone to take over the game late and led the franchise to victory. San Antonio was ahead by double digits in every NBA Finals game, only to lose the series in five. Jalen Brunson took over as the Spurs faltered. They needed Fox to steady the ship, but it never happened.

Spurs just learned why De’Aaron Fox isn’t a max player

San Antonio scored just 21 points per fourth quarter in the NBA Finals. They shot 33.7 percent from the field and were outscored by 26 points over the five final periods. Coach Johnson kept putting the ball in Fox’s hands, but the two-time All-Star couldn’t deliver.

The 6’3 guard’s future is in question. Harper wants more minutes and was the better player in the NBA Finals. The rookie averaged 18.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists, while shooting 49.3 percent from the field. The 20-year-old will only get better.

Fox is an elite scorer, but his inconsistent jumper prevents him from being a true three-level threat. He shot 33.2 percent from 3-point range during the regular season, which is nearly spot on his career average. On a team with floor spacing questions, Fox isn’t the ideal fit.

This is the problem with playing a three-guard lineup of Stephon Castle, Fox, and Harper. The rookie was the best 3-point shooter during the regular season at 34.3 percent. The league average was 36.0 percent for each of the last two years. Victor Wembanyama can space the floor, but he made just 34.9 percent. The Spurs can’t have four below-average shooters on the floor at the same time.

The NBA’s addition of the second tax apron made every dollar count. Fox is closer to the 40th-best player than the top 20. The Ringer had him 38th in their most recent rankings. That isn’t a max player by today’s standards.

The San Antonio Spurs should explore moving De’Aaron Fox to solve their needs at the four. Dylan Harper is ready to take over as the starting point guard. The Spurs got their experience, but fell short of the ultimate goal.

Now, it is time to embrace the young core and try to build a dynasty. Wemby is only 22, and he’s older than Castle and Harper. This could be a special group, but they need to dump Fox after overpaying him. Let the All-Star guard be a problem for someone else.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow