"Fox came into the season under the most pressure of any San Antonian this side of Mitch Johnson. The former All-NBA point guard is one of the Spurs who matters who's in his prime, which made him, in some ways, a curious fit on a team populated by youngsters. Clearly Wembanyama was going to make the Spurs too good to spend any more time losing after last season, though the Fox trade represented a sudden acceleration of the timeline."
"After playing five games together last year, Wemby was ruled out with a blood clot and Fox was shut down shortly after. Then, over the summer, Fox was given a max extension and the Spurs drafted another highly regarded lefty point guard in Dylan Harper, two moves that simultaneously secured Fox as the immediate future of the team and in theory made his skills somewhat redundant."
"The skeptic's position looked good for a while. Fox missed the first eight games of the season, a period in which his team went 6-2, exceeding expectations and ratcheting up the pressure on Fox even higher. Meanwhile, Harper looked like a polished, dangerous vet, not a rookie. Fox re-entered when Wemby missed a few weeks with a calf strain, putting him in a tough position. No matter. He got to work."
For the third time in December, the San Antonio Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, with each victory showcasing a different team strength: Victor Wembanyama's vertical pressure, deep scoring, and De'Aaron Fox's leadership on Christmas Day. Fox entered the season facing intense pressure after a trade and a max extension, while the Spurs also drafted Dylan Harper. Early absences and Harper's polished play raised skepticism about Fox's fit. Fox missed the first eight games as the Spurs went 6-2, then returned when Wembanyama was sidelined with a calf strain. Fox resumed active contribution immediately, working to justify his role and contract.
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