Victor Wembanyama has been the story of this young NBA season. And it began with his perception-changing play in the Spurs’ Opening Night blowout win over the Mavericks. Defensively, everyone already knew he was a force on the court. But nobody was prepared for the diverse range of offensive moves he showed on his way to a 40-point night.
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Wemby led the Spurs to five straight wins to start the season. The performance is that much special considering that a hamstring injury kept De’Aaron Fox from making his season debut until this past Saturday, San Antonio’s ninth game of the year.
Fox came over at last year’s trade deadline and played in just 17 games before undergoing a season-ending surgery on his finger. With that injury, and the team’s performance without him, some people had already projected that the Spurs could move on from the lefty point guard rather than keep him as a franchise cornerstone.
These ideas gathered wind with good performances from exciting young guards like last season’s Rookie of the Year winner Stephon Castle and No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper. Also, we just hadn’t seen much of Fox and Wemby together. Paul Pierce was one of those people who said less than two weeks ago that the Spurs should use Fox as a trade chip.
However, after seeing him play one game, the former Celtics star has changed his tune. On the No Fouls Given podcast, he explained why. “I like his stability he brings as a vet, and he can take some scoring load off Wemby,” Pierce said.
Fox was efficient in Saturday’s win over the Pelicans, scoring 24 points on 9-14 shooting. He closed the game out with a basket in the lane and two free throws in the final 30 seconds. On a night when Wemby “only” managed 18 points, the Spurs very well may have suffered their first home loss of the season had it not been for Fox.
Pierce took note that the Spurs looked like a complete team in the 126-119 victory with Fox in the fold.
“They got talent, they got probably an MVP candidate, they got athleticism, they got guard play, they got depth,” said Pierce, before praising Spurs’ head coach, Mitch Johnson. “When you come from the Pop tree, you [are] coaching. He knows what he [is] doing.”
Fox is only 27, but he’s already one of the more senior members of the Spurs. His presence is even more important now, as Harper is expected to miss multiple weeks with a calf strain.
Fox’s ability to get his own shot and set up his teammates will add a huge new dimension to the Spurs’ offense. And his ability to steal the ball pairs beautifully with Wemby’s unprecedented rim protection. This will allow Wemby to be even more aggressive on defense.
Fox and Wemby are still learning how to play with each other. But with the Spurs at 7-2 and tied for second in the West behind the defending champions, the OKC Thunder, Pierce may be right to wonder if the Spurs are a contender already. If those two can stay on the court, they’re going to be hard to beat.
