Spurs fans have waited over a year for the Fox-Wembanyama experiment

It's strange to say this about a guy who just helped San Antonio to a 62-win season and a trip to the NBA Finals, but here we are: we still haven't actually seen the version of Fox this team traded for.

Remember how this started. The Spurs landed Fox in a three-team blockbuster on February 2, 2025, so there was no time to build chemistry with Victor Wembanyama. He was just dropped into a locker room still figuring out its own identity, next to a superstar who was sidelined because of a blood clot shortly after his arrival.

Not long after, he needed season-ending surgery for his finger, and right after he was cleared in June, he injured his hamstring. So much for a runway. By the time he returned to play, the season was in full swing, and Stephon Castle was running the offense. He's never really gotten the chance to be the alpha next to Wemby that SA paid for, and that's the experiment fans have been waiting to see.

Fox might show even more as Wemby's co-star

Don't get it twisted; I'm not saying that Fox was bad last season. In fact, I've argued on several occasions that he was really good. He only faltered during the playoffs, and that was mostly after he was injured, so I'm Team Swipa. It's just that he was never really cleared to be what we thought the Spurs were trading for in the first place.

Check the usage numbers. Wemby's usage rate sat at a gaudy 32% during the regular season. He's clearly the engine of the offense, which is to be expected. But according to NBA.com, Fox finished at 24.2%, while Stephon Castle finished with 24.3%.

I know it's extremely close, but we're talking about a former All-Star, veteran playmaker in his prime, having an equal rate as a sophomore. Then the playoffs arrived, and the gap widened in Steph's direction, who saw his usage climb to 24.6%. Fox's, on the other hand, dropped to 22.9%. Watch enough Spurs possessions, and you saw that play out in real time.

Castle brought the ball up and initiated the offense consistently. Fox spotted up in the corner waiting on a kickout. That's not a co-star operating a notch below a superstar. The second-year player was outpacing him for touches in big games. That could change this season.

For the first time since the trade, Fox and Wemby got a normal summer together instead of building chemistry on the fly. Pick-and-roll timing and knowing each other's spots and habits require reps.

By the time the season ends, we should see the full picture. Is Swipa the co-star Wemby needs, or would San Antonio truly be better off with Castle and Harper taking full control? Only Fox can answer that.

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