Spurs fans patience will pay off in major way for De’Aaron Fox

Despite a disappointing season that saw the San Antonio Spurs lose Gregg Popovich and Victor Wembanyama for most of the year, they did pull off a big trade to acquire De'Aaron Fox. Fox had a muted impact, averaging 19.7 points, 6.8 assists, and 1.5 in 17 games for the Spurs.

That's compared to averaging 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 6.1 assists for the Sacramento Kings this season, which might suggest that he won't be the same type of star for the Spurs. However, comparing his play from the Kings with the Spurs would be a mistake.

After all, after Wembanyama was ruled out for the season, the Spurs became far less competitive, and Fox was clearly hampered by his hand injury. Still, having him play 17 games with key players such as Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and Jeremy Sochan gave him a chance to build chemistry with his new teammates.

His opting to have surgery on his hand a month prior to the end of the season will help the Spurs in several ways. For one, he'll have more time to rehab after surgery, allowing him to hit the ground running next season.

Him also punting on this season may help San Antonio jump from 10th to 8th in this year's draft order, also giving them better odds of their pick climbing into the top 4. Adding a top-10 pick to an exciting core could pay off in the long run, and so will Fox.

Spurs fans have yet to see the best of De’Aaron Fox

A projected backcourt of Fox and Castle would give San Antonio their most athletic backcourt since Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and give them a new dimension. Having two players who can relentlessly attack the basket is a rarity in today's NBA and keeps the Spurs from relying on Wembanyama to carry the offense.

Whereas Castle is a more physical driver who can elevate and finish at the rack, Fox is pure speed. If nothing else, it would allow the Spurs to get into their sets faster, which would likely lead to quicker shots, meaning more possessions and points. Fox will also get San Antonio easy baskets in transition, something that's been lacking recently.

Potential for Fox and Wembanyama as an elite duo is there for the Spurs

The Spurs could also use Fox and Wembanyama in direct handoffs. Wembanyama would pull the opposing center away from the rim, simultaneously set a screen, and hand off to Fox, who could turn the corner and easily get into the paint. There, he could either finish at the rim or find shooters, including Wembanyama, for open threes.

While he isn't known as a shooter, he shot 46.5% on his 5.1 pull-up jumpers per game, a more than respectable number. For comparison, former Spur DeMar DeRozan, who is the gold standard as far as mid-range masters, shot 49%. Fox feasting on easy layups by pushing the pace, using direct handoffs, knocking down pull-ups, and hitting the occasional three is a recipe for a strong 1A option.

Ultimately, Spurs fans were only able to get a taste of Fox in the Silver and Black this season. However, once he and Wembanyama are both healthy, he will quickly remind fans why the Spurs traded for him.