What De’Aaron Fox critics keep missing when they go after the Spurs star

De'Aaron Fox has been at the heart of criticism for the better part of his San Antonio Spurs career. Critics are either eager for head coach Mitch Johnson to rush Dylan Harper into the starting lineup or fixated on the mistakes Fox made during the NBA Finals.

Perhaps that's the burden an All-NBA veteran carries. The latest viral attempt at discrediting Fox, however, reveals how absurd the criticism has become.

Fox made one of the most frustrating plays of the 2026 NBA Finals when he attempted a layup instead of dribbling out the clock. And yes, the Knicks having to send him to the free throw line could've hypothetically changed the outcome of the game.

Fox's layup attempt was one of a mountain of plays that cost the Spurs Game 4, however, when they blew a 29-point lead that left every single San Antonio player and coach with egg on their face. Nevertheless, he has received the blame for the defeat.

That continued when a social media post aspiring to create the worst possible NBA player chose Fox for the decision-making portion. The post now has more than 18,000 likes.

Fox may have made bad decisions at times in 2025-26, but the commentary continues to ignore that he's an All-NBA player who was just the starting point guard for an NBA Finalist.

De'Aaron Fox is one of the best point guards in the NBA

Fox led the Spurs in minutes per game. When Victor Wembanyama missed 12 games between Nov. 16 and Dec. 10, Fox averaged 25.2 points and 6.5 assists per game. More importantly, he led San Antonio to a 9-3 record.

Ignore those facts and criticism is easy to come by. Pretend there isn't more and it's even easier. The reality of what Fox brings to the Spurs, however, is that they benefit immensely from his presence—and rely on him to do his job.

For instance: Fox ranked in the 90th percentile in on-ball gravity and the 92nd percentile in off-ball gravity in 2025-26, per Basketball Index. Fox also ranked in the 97th percentile in guarded by matchup difficulty, ranking in the 96th percentile or higher in both on and off-ball situations.

In other words: Opposing teams were putting great defenders on Fox no matter where he was on the court. That inevitably opened the floor up for his teammates.

De'Aaron Fox simplifies the game for his teammates

For example: Victor Wembanyama's true shooting percentage was .639 with Fox on the court and .602 without him. He shot 38.7 percent from three-point range with him and 28.0 percent without him. Stephon Castle shot 40.6 percent from beyond the arc with Fox on the floor and 26.7 percent without him.

Even Devin Vassell jumped from 34.8 percent without Fox to 41.9 percent with him. It's by no means hyperbolic to state that Fox was thus a primary catalyst for the Spurs' success.

Furthermore, Fox is one of the best defensive point guards in the NBA. He finished the 2025-26 season in the 87th percentile in perimeter isolation defense, the 89th percentile in ball screen navigation, the 76th percentile in off-ball chaser defense, and the 90th percentile in screener mobile defense.

That translated wonderfully to the playoffs.

Unfortunately, all critics seem to be able to fixate on is the negative.

De'Aaron Fox is too great to pretend he isn't

Yes, the time may ultimately come when Harper is simply the better option for the starting point guard job than Fox. And yes, that may ultimately force the Spurs to make a trade that will leave Fox's critics feeling a false sense of vindication.

Whether or not the youth movement takes hold to that effect, however, has nothing to do with Fox's quality as a player, let alone whether or not he deserves the lopsided backlash he's received.

Even the way he's been treated, however, speaks volumes about how important he is to the Spurs. In another NBA universe, Wembanyama telling the Knicks that he was in their heads and then failing to prevent a 29-point collapse would've been a career-defining moment for the hating crowd to latch onto. Instead, it's Fox who's bearing the brunt of the criticism.

There are no shortage of great players who face criticism in the NBA, but Fox rarely seems to get the credit he deserves for the player he is.

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