When De'Aaron Fox requested a trade from the Sacramento Kings to the San Antonio Spurs, he was well aware that he wouldn't be the franchise center piece. The Spurs were building around Victor Wembanyama and had put Stephon Castle in an early position to succeed. At best, Fox would be the third option.
As it turns out, Fox never wanted to take over the team. He had opportunities to do that in Sacramento, and it came with losses, losses, and more losses. In Texas, Fox planned on playing winning basketball.
Even as Castle improves, Fox is the second-best player on the team (for now), and he understands that his role changes on any given night.
De'Aaron Fox Knows When to Step Up
In his first full season with the Silver and Black, Fox is averaging 18.5 points, 6.1 assists, and 1.3 steals. His 14.5 field goals attempted per game is the lowest since his second year in the league.
"I knew what I was stepping into," said Fox, regarding his arrival in San Antonio. "It's not a surprise. But those guys are extremely talented, every game is not gonna be the same."
In the most recent win, with both Castle and Wembanyama out, Fox knew his aggression would have to step up, and he would have to be on the attack.
"Sometimes I attack the game a little more," he outlined. "But at the end of the day, [Wembanyama and Castle] are extremely talented. They understand the game at an extremely high level. It's easy to play with them. And obviously, when they're not on the court, we as a collective have to be more aggressive, have to step up, have to take more shots, have to be better defensively, because those are two of the best defensive players in the league."
Fox finished with a team-high 25 points in the 112-101 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, showcasing that he can be the best player on offense and the team can still dominate. In the postseason, expect the game plan to run through Castle and Wemby, although Fox will be ready for anything and everything.