The Spurs' most exciting offseason addition isn't a new player

Let's travel back in time to the end of the Spurs' final season as a lottery team in April 2025. De'Aaron Fox was speaking to the media, conducting his exit interview, when he made a bold claim about his partnership with Victor Wembanyama. "We will be the best pick-and-roll combo in the league," he said.

Contrary to that statement, they were not that, despite the potency of San Antonio's attack. Players need a chance to build a special chemistry together to become that dynamic of a duo, and these two haven't had that.

Until now.

For the first time since Fox's arrival, both he and Wemby are healthy in the offseason, so now, they get their chance to put in work together, and they're taking it. That could end up being as big a reason as any for the next leap the Spurs take.

Injuries robbed the Spurs of the partnership they envisioned

To run quickly through the timeline: Swipa didn't really get a chance to start putting in work with Wemby until November 8—two weeks into the new season. Vic was sidelined by the blood clot five short games after Fox's arrival.

A month later, the former Kings guard then underwent season-ending surgery to repair his busted shooting hand. Not too long after he recovered from that, he sprained his hamstring, and it kept him from putting in any real work with his teammates. Stephon Castle spoke about missing Fox after his backcourt running mate's first game back.

"We’ve been waiting for Fox to get back, really all summer," Castle said. And really, that explains why the Spurs ran their offense through their second-year playmaker instead of the more experienced ball handler. Fans were questioning the decision early—mostly when the younger half of Area 51 had a few too many turnovers.

It makes sense, considering he was likely the one initiating the offense for the entire offseason and training camp. Now, Swipa gets his chance to work with the big fella. The players have to spend time working together when the gym is empty to become an elite duo. Fox and Wemby haven't had that luxury before.

The scary part is how effective the Spurs were without that element being as polished as they'd like. They possessed an incredibly dangerous offense that nearly saw a historic eight players average double digits. Next season, it will benefit from better timing in the pick-and-roll, quicker reads, improved end-game execution, and, most importantly, more trust built through reps.

This is what fans envisioned from the start—a pick-your-poison attack with two explosive and uniquely athletic talents. Fox's speed and Wemby's freakish everything will devastate teams once they're in sync. When that happens, it won't be because they suddenly clicked. It will be a result of the offseason work they put in.

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