Spurs are rapidly approaching the De'Aaron Fox reality they always hoped for

It is fast approaching the one-year anniversary of the San Antonio Spurs trading for star De'Aaron Fox, and it is safe to say it has gone ever better than expected. Fox has more than lived up to expectations, but not only as a scorer.

What has been so surprising about Fox has been his willingness to embrace change and, specifically, Spurs culture. He doesn't seem to focus on individual stats, instead focusing on what's best for the team.

He has seen his role change several times this season, with him initially expected to be more of a co-star to Victor Wembanyama. Instead, he has primarily played off the ball while Stephon Castle runs the offense.

Then, when both players were out, Fox led the team in scoring, helping them play at a top-five level offensively. With the return of Castle and Wembanyama to the starting lineup, Fox's role has diminished, resulting in him scoring in single digits in several games over the past few weeks.

Still, he is capable of big offensive performances, namely the Christmas Day game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, in which he dropped 29 points to lead all scorers.

De'Aaron Fox has already brought into Spurs culture in a big way

There is always the risk that when the Spurs trade for a player, they don't buy into what the team is trying to do or simply don't fit well. Former Spur Richard Jefferson fit that to a T.

He was brought in to help carry the scoring load as Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili aged, but his style clashed with how the Spurs liked to play. To his credit, he did change his game up, becoming more of a 3-point shooter, but by doing so, he became just another role player. Fox is different.

He hasn't had to dramatically alter his game to the point where he is no longer the star that they acquired. In fact, while he isn't playing with the ball nearly as much, he remains a key part of the team's offensive attack while being able to expand on an underutilized area of his game.

De'Aaron Fox is expanding his game before our eyes

Entering this season, Fox was known as being a mediocre 3-point shooter and had a career average of just 33.3% from outside. This season with him playing more off-ball with better teammates who can draw attention away from him, he is nailing a career-high 39.4% of his 6.1 3-point attempts per game.

While he has had good shooting seasons before, him being among the best high-volume shooters in the NBA probably wasn't on many Spurs fans' bingo cards. Hopefully, it's a sign that he has improved as a shooter, and it would open up different possibilities for both him and the team as a whole.

If Fox is now a legit shooter who can knock down shots off the dribble or spot-up looks, then when his speed starts to decline, he can still be an effective player. It would also put another shooter around Wembanyama and increase the possibility that a Fox, Castle, and Dylan Harper trio could eventually start together.

Equally as important is Fox's willingness to play within a team concept. Fox has adapted his game to maintain his effectiveness while allowing his teammates to shine. It's still very early on in his tenure with the Spurs, but it's hard for fans to not like what they've seen so far from him.