Shocking De’Aaron Fox stat only proves Spurs trade heisted the Kings

Despite concerns about the San Antonio Spurs signing star De'Aaron Fox to a max contract, he has quickly quieted those concerns with his on-court play.

Especially with him being forced to carry the offensive load with three of the Spurs' best players being out with injury. What's more impressive, however, is his shooting thus far. Through his first eight games this season, Fox is shooting a blistering 42.3% from three on 6.5 attempts per game.

Not just that, but he is shooting 38.2% on threes off the dribble. Considering that he wasn't seen as a 3-point shooter prior to being acquired by the Spurs, it has been a welcome sight.

Actually, his career 33.1% 3-point average confirms that he has been a below-average shooter. That likely ensures that his shooting will come back down to Earth, but him being able to space the floor has huge implications for the Spurs.

De'Aaron Fox's hot shooting could transform the Spurs offense

Although he is a below-average 3-point shooter for his career, he did have a strong shooting season back in 2023-24. That was his best season with the Sacramento Kings, who no doubt regret having to trade him for far less than he was worth.

During that peak Light the Beam season, he averaged a terrific 26.6 points and 5.6 assists and shot 36.9% from three on 7.8 3-point attempts per game. He may not average 26.6 points per game when paired up with Wembanyama over the rest of the season.

But if his shooting numbers remain above the league average this season, there might not be much of a drop-off. The Spurs are light on shooting, especially in their starting backcourt, and if Fox can reliably knock down threes, then the league has a big problem on their hands.

A sharpshooting Fox could unlock the Spurs' full potential

They already have the fifth-ranked offense in the NBA with a rotating cast of players as they juggle injuries. Just imagine if they were able to get healthy at the right time and could get Fox and Wembanyama playing well together.

It's entirely possible that they could be top-3, making them a truly elite offense. That would be a dramatic improvement after they ranked 19th last season, and Fox could play a major hand in it.

If he can continue to punish teams from outside with devastating stepback threes, then it would fully unlock his drive game with teams forced to play up on him. In turn, that could lead to more open jumpers for Wembanyama, Harrison Barnes—aka Mr. 100%—Julian Champagnie, and Devin Vassell.

If Fox can develop a two-man game with Wembanyama, then the Spurs could be firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball and emerge as a legit contender this season.