The San Antonio Spurs didn't get the best version of De'Aaron Fox in their last two wins, so he came out with something to prove against the Washington Wizards.
The San Antonio Spurs boast the longest active winning streak in the NBA, with six in a row. Finding things to criticize is a little tacky, especially when the team hasn't had much team success in the last several seasons.
However, it's the holidays. "Tacky" is the perfect summation of how I'm feeling this month. Ho ho ho!
Victor Wembanyama has been elite in his limited minutes since returning from injury. Dyulan Harper and Stephon Castle are both clearly ahead of schedule. I could criticize Harrison Barnes' shooting efficiency, but instead, let's talk about De'Aaron Fox.
In the Spurs' first game against the Washington Wizards, he scored six points, making a single field goal. In the game after that, against the Atlanta Hawks, he only posted eight points.
His assists and steals numbers remained solid, and Harper and Castle both had solid games during Fox's lapse. Plus, in both games, Fox recorded a double-digit plus/minus. Maybe there's nothing to complain about?
There is! He has not been attacking the rim this season. Part of it may have to do with the fact that Castle, Harper, and Wembanyama are all better in the paint than he is. Or iot could be his improved 3-point shooting allows him to space the floor more. Either way, he's been a more passive player in recent games.
In the Spurs' 124-113 win over the Wizards on Sunday, he bounced back, scoring 27 points and sprinkling in some downhill attacking with midrange shots. It was a much better balance, and even he will admit that.
"For me, it's just being able to try to affect the game in many different ways," he said. "Obviously, last game I didn't score well, but I felt I did other things well."
He has passed well and found the open man, and he's been an adept defender in a secondary role behind Castle. All in all, he's still having one of the best seasons of his career. During his time with the Sacramento Kings, he had to wear many hats. In San Antonio, he's surrounded by capable guards and the league's best center (Nikola Jokic would like a word), and at the end of the day, he's finding success with the only metric that matters:
Wins.