This season, the San Antonio Spurs are not in the title mix. Despite their impressive 9-4 record, they have struggled with consistency, taking care of the ball, and holding onto leads.

Of course, as De'Aaron Fox continues to get healthy and integrate himself into the lineup and culture in San Antonio, he will play a massive role in moving the team forward.

On Sunday, the Spurs cruised past the Sacramento Kings, all without Dylan Harper and Victor Wembanyama. Stephon Castle exited the game with a hip injury, but Fox had one of the better games of his short Spurs tenure.

Against his old team, the point guard posted 28 points and 11 assists. He turned the ball over only twice and was an efficient scorer from all over the floor.

Coming off two straight losses--both to the Golden State Warriors--Fox didn't want the Spurs to fall into a slump. After seven seasons with the Kings, he knows what getting into a rut can do to teams, and he was bent on making sure the Spurs avoided a long losing streak.

"You have to have resilience as a team, because you could go on a five-game winning streak, and you could very easily go on to a five-game losing streak," said Fox after the win. "You don't want to have those ups and downs. That's a sign of a team that's not very good. You can win five games, then you lose five or six. Or you win six games, and then you lose three in a row. Whenever you have those two games that you might drop, or even if you might lose three games in a row, you have to figure out a way not to let that snowball, and those are the signs of teams that are trying to win championships."

Fox has long been one of the more clutch players in the league, although that wasn't really on display in either loss to the Warriors. The Spurs never struggled against the Kings, so it was easy for Fox to find his footing, although the version of him the Spurs traded for has finally arrived.

Fox has been billed as a solid scorer and facilitator who can get a bucket when his team needs him most. He, and everyone in the locker room, knows that Wembanyama is the focal point of the offense, although having proven, experienced scorers around him who can force their way to the hoop is a must.

Without Wembanyama, Fox was able to put the Spurs on his back. Once the superstar returns, expect Fox to fall back to a high-end complementary role.