The Spurs are backing De’Aaron Fox, but his performance in the finals is raising plenty of questions

One bad series changed the narrative

For most of the season, Fox looked like exactly what the Spurs needed. His speed transformed the offense, his shot creation relieved pressure on Wembanyama, and his veteran presence helped accelerate a rebuild many believed was still years from contending. Then came the Finals.

While Wembanyama largely carried San Antonio’s championship hopes, Fox struggled to make a consistent offensive impact, and the numbers were hard to ignore.

He shot roughly 34 percent from the field during the series and averaged fewer than 13 points per game, with his struggles culminating in a Game 5 in which he scored just seven as the Knicks closed it out. For a lot of observers, that was enough to spark an uncomfortable question. Can Fox really be the No. 2 option next to Wembanyama when a championship is on the line?

The Spurs appear to have their answer

At least for now. Reports that San Antonio remains committed to Fox suggest the organization is weighing the bigger picture rather than one difficult series, and that is probably the right approach.

It is easy to fixate on what happened in June and harder to remember what happened over the previous eight months. The Spurs do not reach the Finals without Fox, whose ability to push the pace, attack defenses and create for teammates was a major reason San Antonio arrived on the league’s biggest stage ahead of schedule. One poor series does not erase that.

But the concerns are real

That does not make the criticism unfair, either. Championship teams need their stars to deliver when the margin for error disappears, and the Finals exposed several weaknesses opponents have occasionally targeted throughout Fox’s career. His outside shooting remains inconsistent, defenses are more willing to sag off him in playoff settings, and when his speed advantage gets neutralized by elite opponents, his offensive impact can fade.

Those issues get magnified when the player earning franchise money is the one they apply to, because the Spurs are paying Fox to help deliver championships, not simply to be good. That is a different standard.

Wembanyama changes the equation

What makes this conversation fascinating is that it is ultimately as much about Wembanyama as it is about Fox. The Spurs already have their centerpiece, and there is no debate about that. Wembanyama’s Finals performance only reinforced his status as one of the league’s most dominant players and the foundation of everything San Antonio hopes to build.

The challenge now is determining who fits best beside him. The organization clearly believes Fox is still that player, and the next few seasons will decide whether that belief holds up.

The worst thing the Spurs could do is panic

This is where San Antonio deserves some credit. Plenty of organizations overreact after painful playoff losses, and the Spurs have built one of the league’s most respected cultures by resisting those impulses. A Finals defeat should lead to honest evaluation rather than drastic, reactive decisions.

Fox is still in his prime, the Fox-Wembanyama partnership is still relatively new, and despite the disappointment, San Antonio was four wins from a title. None of that demands panic.

The next chapter starts now

Both sides enter next season with something to prove. The Spurs have to show their Finals appearance was not a one-year breakthrough, and Fox has to show his performance against the Knicks was an exception rather than a warning sign.

That is why reports of San Antonio’s continued commitment matter. The Spurs are making it clear they still believe in the partnership, and now Fox has to reward that faith. After the Finals, the debate is less about whether De’Aaron Fox can help the Spurs win and more about whether he can help them win the last four games that matter most.