Why Locking Up De’Aaron Fox Could Make The Spurs A Contender For Years!

Why Locking Up De’Aaron Fox Could Make The Spurs A Contender For Years!

The Spurs have just locked in De’Aran Fox on a 4-year, $229 million extension, and he’s ready to prove he’s worth every single dollar. Fox brings a dynamic element the Spurs simply don’t have anywhere else on their roster. A true one-on-one assassin. He’s the kind of player you hand the ball to, clear out, and watch as he dismantles whoever’s in front of him for easy buckets. Last season, among players who ran at least two isolation possessions per game, Fox, alongside Kevin Durant, was tied for the most points per possession in the entire NBA. That’s elite territory. His blazing speed and elite handle leave defenders scrambling, desperately trying to keep up with his agility. On drives to his left, defenders rarely stand a chance. But don’t be fooled, Fox is just as deadly going right, exploding past his man in a blur with no hope of recovery. And if a defender somehow cuts off his first move, Fox has the patience, craft, and lightning quick counters to beat them on the second attempt, often without even creating much space beforehand. He’s a master at turning slivers of opportunity into full-blown breakdowns. On top of that, he’s fearless in contact, drawing fouls, and finishing through defenders. And when you switch a big onto him, he has the speed, agility, and change of direction that leave bigs flat-footed while Fox glides to the rim. But here’s the real separator, his finishing. It’s not just that he gets to the rim, it’s that he converts at an elite rate. Compared to other guards, Fox’s ability to end a possession with a bucket in traffic is what elevates him from a great driver to one of the most dangerous rim finishers in the game. But if there’s one area in his ISO game where there’s still room for growth, it’s his jump shooting. Last season, among high volume mid-range scorers, Fox ranked in the bottom third of the league in efficiency, hitting just 41.2% 2% of his attempts from deep. It was a similar story. He finished in the bottom five in pull-up three-point shooting efficiency among high volume shooters. And yet, despite those shooting numbers, Fox ended the year as the best isolation player in the entire league. That speaks volumes about just how dominant he is one-on-one. Now, imagine if he bumps those percentages up by even two or three points. Suddenly, you’re looking at a player who could stand alone as the best one-on-one scorer in basketball next season. And we haven’t even touched on his clutch performance by Wells. Six seconds. Fox puts it on the deck, slams on the brakes. His fade away is in with 1.8. Grizzy’s got to go. Fox thrives when the game is on the line. Not long ago, he claimed the inaugural clutch player of the year award for the 2022 23 season, shooting an incredible 52.9% from the field in crunch time. While the past two seasons haven’t reached those same heights, he’s still been highly reliable, posting 43.9% and 46.5% in clutch situations. Numbers that actually top stars like Demar De Rozan, Jason Tatum, Anthony Edwards, and even Steph Curry. That level of composure under pressure is exactly what makes Fox such a valuable weapon. When the Spurs find themselves in a nailbiter, they know they have a star they can trust to rise to the moment and bury the shot that seals the game. But Fox’s impact in crunchtime goes far beyond scoring. He’s an elite playmaker, one who is more than capable of punishing a defense for any mistake. If opponents overhelp on ISO situations, Fox has the vision, IQ, and pinpoint passing to find a cutter diving to the rim or a shooter camped out on the wing. Even when defenses send the double team, he is able to read the floor and deliver the right pass without a hint of panic. And maybe the most exciting part of Fox’s contract extension with San Antonio is the potential of his partnership with Wemi. That pick and roll duo could become one of the scariest in the league next season. Fox in the fourth quarter. Tough shot. It’s good. Last season with Wem sideline for most of the season, we only caught glimpses of what that connection could be. But Fox’s play as a pick and roll initiator already showed how sharp his decision-making and read and react skills are. The Spurs ran a lot of horns action for him. A clever twist on the standard pick and roll. Instead of one screener, you’ve got two stationed at the top of the key, giving Fox the freedom to attack either direction. This setup also clears out potential help defenders, creating clean driving lanes. And if the defense does collapse, it often opens up a direct passing lane to a wide open corner three. But here’s where San Antonio really shows its attention to detail. They’re deliberate about who they put in these spots. Take this first clip for example. The two best three-point shooters on the floor for the Spurs are Champagne and Kellen. One is utilized as the screener, the other is used as a spot-up shooter in the corner. The Mavs decide to switch on this action with Max Christy ending up on Fox. A favorable matchup for the best ISO player in the league last season. As Fox attacks Christy, notice how Sohan, the weaker shooter of the two screeners, ends up rolling to the basket while Champenni, the better shooter, pops out beyond the ark. Even though the switch leads to Fox simply going one-on-one and drilling a jumper, you can still see the underlying design, give Fox multiple built-in advantages, whether to score himself or create for a teammate. Now, watch the next clip, but this time focus on Kellen, who is going to be the roleman on this play. At first, he sets a basic screen trying to make it hard for Jaden to go over it. But as soon as he notices Jaden trying to duck under, Kell quickly adjusts his screening angle, sealing off Jaden’s path. Meanwhile, Nas, who is playing too far off Fox, leaves a huge pocket of space for Kell to roll into. Fox threads the bounce pass. And with Jaden completely out of the play, Randall is forced to rotate off the corner shooter. Kell finishes with an open dunk, but even there he had the option to kick it to Castle in the corner, Castle’s sweet spot and his most efficient three-point look. The beauty of this play isn’t just the clean execution. It’s how naturally it layers scoring threats, giving the ball handler multiple ways to exploit any defensive crack. And that’s exactly why I picked this clip. Beyond the Spurs young stars, their role players are incredibly sharp, high IQ pieces who make those stars shine even brighter. Just like in that earlier play, Kell’s quick heads up adjustment turned into a gift wrapped assist for Fox. This is a team that constantly puts each other in winning positions. Now, picture that same Horns action next season, but with Wemi, Vel, Barnes, and another versatile weapon. Fox initiates and the other four can morph into any role. A corner sniper, a pickand pop threat, or a dangerous roleman. With that kind of interchangeable firepower, defending the Spurs is going to be a nightmare. Sure, the Spurs haven’t really used Castle as a pick and pop option in those horn sets yet, mainly because his three-point shot isn’t quite there, but just imagine if he comes back this off season with a respectable outside jumper. That’s another weapon unlocked, another wrinkle for defenses to worry about. This team’s offensive versatility combined with their understanding of spacing, angles, and offball movement is already scary. And we haven’t even touched on their incoming rookies, Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant, and the unique tools they’ll add to the mix. Yes, this breakdown started with the Aaron Fox, but somewhere along the way, it turned into a full-on Spurs breakdown, and that’s exactly the point. San Antonio isn’t built around just one or two stars. There are rosters stacked with high IQ, unselfish players who constantly elevate each other’s games. We focused on one particular set. The Spurs love running for Fox, but trust me, there’s a whole playbook of actions they run that showcase the same creativity and intelligence of their players. With a sharp coaching staff guiding them, the growth we’re seeing now is just the beginning. So whether you bleed silver and black or not, you’re going to want to keep your eyes on this team next season. Until then, thanks for tuning in. I appreciate the support as always, and I can’t wait to dive into more film with you next time. Fox’s second game as a Spur trying to make a name for himself.

Why Locking Up De’Aaron Fox Could Make The Spurs A Contender For Years!

What’s in today’s video?

Timestamps :
0:00 – Intro
0:32 – Why Defenders Have Very Little Success In Stopping Fox 1-on-1
2:11 – Fox’s Elite Crunch-Time Efficiency
4:03 – Spurs’ “Horns” Action Explained

De’Aaron Fox is officially a San Antonio Spur — and he’s ready to prove every dollar of his 4-year, $229 million contract was money well spent. Fox brings a dynamic element the Spurs simply haven’t had in years — a true one-on-one assassin who can dismantle any defender in front of him. Last season, among players who ran at least two isolation possessions per game, Fox tied Kevin Durant for the most points per possession in the entire NBA. His blazing speed, elite handle, and ability to finish in traffic make him one of the most dangerous rim attackers in basketball.

Yet, despite shooting just 41.2% from mid-range and ranking in the bottom five in pull-up three-point efficiency among high-volume shooters, Fox still finished as the league’s best isolation scorer. Imagine if he bumps those percentages up by even a few points — we could be looking at the undisputed best one-on-one scorer in the NBA.

In this breakdown, we’ll explore Fox’s elite clutch-time performance, his ability to punish double-teams as a playmaker, and the potential of his partnership with Victor Wembanyama. We’ll also dissect how the Spurs’ “horns” action, high-IQ role players like Keldon Johnson, Justin Shampeahney, and Stephon Castle, and incoming rookies Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant could unlock an offense that’s nearly impossible to defend.

With Gregg Popovich’s system maximizing Fox’s strengths and surrounding him with unselfish, versatile talent, the Spurs could be building something special. Could this Fox-Wemby pairing be the foundation of the next great NBA contender? Let’s dive in.

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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.

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