Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox face two very different Spurs tests

Victor Wembanyama averaged 26 points in the NBA Finals, the highest mark by anyone 22 or younger in the history of the series, and the Spurs still went home in five. Training camp opens this week. So, San Antonio doesn't get to fix that in one day. There's an 82-game grind between here and another crack at it.

But the Silver and Black are electric again. What does Dylan Harper's encore performance look like, how does Tobias Harris impact this team, and can Victor Wembanyama win MVP this season, are all fascinating threads to follow. No doubt those topics will be discussed all year long, and most of the talk will likely be positive, fun, and engaging.

Most of it.

The De'Aaron Fox hate crowd will be unbearable

We all know the truth about fandom. Like any other subset of the population, there are groups you'd rather not associate with. People who talk way too much in a movie theater, celebrate when players on their "favorite" team have bad nights to push an agenda, or put mayonnaise on their Philly Cheesesteak; stay away from me.

As mortifying as that last one is, focus.

Every time Fox has an off night, a segment of the fan base will criticize him and push their Dylan Harper should start agenda. Those same people will ignore any sophomore struggles the ex-Rutgers star has. Reasonable minds understand that 82 games is a lot, so there will be ups and downs for every player.

Having an off-night here and there is not a referendum on anyone's capability, and it shouldn't determine whether they start or not. But we'll have to fight those battles all season anyway. Thankfully, we'll have plenty to discuss on the positive side, like how Vic looks in year four.

How does Wembanyama respond to the NBA Finals loss?

We already know who Vic is at this point. He's one of the ones, so right now is not just about whether he's improved—we know he will—it's about how much he's learned. Is he finding more ways to get easy buckets? Is he finding more efficient ways to score in isolation? Those things will be important when the playoffs roll around again.

Wemby's 26 PPG is the highest scoring average by anyone 22 or younger in NBA Finals history. But he also had the second-highest usage rate (30.4) of anyone that age since the league started tracking it in 1977, according to StatMuse.

Only LeBron James had a higher usage (36.2), but King James was much less efficient (42.8 TS%). He also got swept. That makes sense for a young wing player with a bad roster compared to a 7'4" extraterrestrial (53.1 TS%) with that talent around him.

The usage number is the part that concerns me. Carrying 30 percent of an offense at 22 on that stage and staying somewhat efficient is absurd, but that's not necessarily a badge of honor. It's no wonder he tired out with that crazy workload when you factor in his near 40 minutes per game.

The best version of Year Four shouldn't necessarily mean Wemby does more. De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper must do enough so that he doesn't have to, and the Alien has to spend more possessions hunting better shots, attacking mismatches, and controlling games without having to manufacture every advantage himself.

That's the kind of growth that could make the French Mind Flayer even more dangerous, whether or not he becomes a higher-volume scorer. Watching it come to fruition should be at the top of the list for every Spurs fan.

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