De’Aaron Fox scores nine points vs. Phoenix

One night after scoring 19 points in a loss to the Rockets, Fox matched that mark against the Mavericks on Saturday. The veteran point guard also recorded nine assists in a second straight game, bringing his total to 25 over three games. After committing five turnovers against the Rockets, Fox committed two against the Mavericks. The Spurs play three games in Week 2, starting with the Kings on Tuesday.

Fox’s sprained right wrist will not keep him out of Friday’s game. He’ll take on his usual starting point guard duties as the Spurs look to rebound from Tuesday’s loss to the Thunder.

Fox, who played 32 minutes in Tuesday’s season-opening loss to the Thunder, is dealing with a sprained right wrist. If there’s a silver lining to the injury, it’s that he shoots left-handed. If Fox can’t play on Friday, Julian Champagnie could move into the starting lineup after playing 30 minutes off the bench on Tuesday.

Despite being written off after a rough Finals series, Fox is still a productive player, which he showcased in this game. He’ll continue to be an important piece for the Spurs this season, even if they continue to start all three of their guards. Fox led the Spurs in assists in this game after Stephon Castle led the team in dimes last season. If Fox is the primary playmaker this year for San Antonio, he may see a nice boost in production.

Jeff McDonald also reported that coach Mitch Johnson intends to use this starting lineup on Tuesday against the Thunder. The Spurs will use their three guard lineup with Champagnie and Harris coming off the bench. We’ll see if the starting lineup sticks that way beyond this upcoming Tuesday, but you can feel good to draft Vassell to stream him in on opening night.

Fox’s first NBA Finals appearance is one that should, in theory, motivate him for years to come, as he struggled for most of the series. The miscues late in Game 4 were followed by a subpar performance in Game 5, and down the stretch, the Spurs would have been better off relying on Dylan Harper. Regarding fantasy basketball, Fox can provide reliable top-75 value, but his ceiling is limited on this Spurs roster. It’s worth noting that Fox’s extension, worth nearly $222 million over four years, goes into effect next season. While the Spurs may not have to make a decision immediately, there will come a point when they need to play Harper and Stephon Castle. Stay tuned.

After seemingly figuring things out by scoring 20 points in Game 2 following a rough Game 1 and subpar series against the Thunder, Fox’s struggles returned in this game. However, he was able to make some plays down the stretch, including a mid-range jumper with 12 seconds left to give the Spurs a five-point lead. They were able to hold on and get their first win of the series. Fox needs to be much better than he has been, so hopefully the 2023 Clutch Player of the Year hitting a big shot late will provide him some momentum moving forward.

After shooting 2-of-15 from three in the first six games of the Western Conference Finals, Fox shot 3-of-7 in Game 7. In total, seven Spurs scored in double figures, with the balanced effort being enough to counter Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who put up a game-high 35 points. Fox will now make his first NBA Finals appearance, with the Spurs hosting the Knicks in Game 1 on Wednesday.

Fox missed the first two games of the series with an ankle injury and hasn’t looked 100 percent since returning. While he’s played through injury, his point totals and field goal percentages have declined in all four games he’s played in this series. Fox had 15 points in Game 3, 12 in Game 4, nine in Game 5 and five in Game 6. He’ll likely need to break this trend and score more than five points in Game 7 on Saturday if the Spurs are going to advance to the NBA Finals.

While he still has not looked 100 percent after returning from a sprained right ankle that sidelined him for Games 1 and 2, Fox’s presence on the court has paid dividends. Stephon Castle totaled two turnovers in Games 3 and 4 after committing 20 in the first two games, and Fox contributed a game-high 10 rebounds on Sunday. Victor Wembanyama’s dominance and the Spurs’ defense were the stories of Sunday’s blowout victory. Still, Fox’s return is one reason why San Antonio has a realistic shot at dethroning the reigning champs. Game 5 is on Tuesday night.