When the San Antonio Spurs traded for De’Aaron Fox, he was intended to insulate a young, inexperienced core of players. Fox won the inaugural Clutch Player of the Year award in 2023 and is regarded as one of the better late-game performers in the league.
Yet, on the biggest stage of his career, the lights have been too bright for Fox.
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The end of Game 5 perfectly encapsulated Fox’s struggles thus far. After deflecting a loose ball past half court, he found himself alone with 12 seconds on the clock and up a point. The Knicks were in the bonus, meaning Fox could’ve dribbled the clock out and forced a foul.
What followed can only be described as one of the biggest blunders in recent Finals history.
Fox immediately went for a layup, which OG Anunoby easily blocked, helping New York regain possession.
That sort of mistake is something you expect from your 20-year-old rookie, not a seasoned veteran like Fox. The concerning play extends beyond one possession for Fox, with his efficiency holding the Spurs’ offense back in several games this postseason.
In Game 1, he shot 3-13 from the floor with 7 points, while in Game 3, he shot 4-14. Meanwhile, rookie guard Dylan Harper shot over 50% from the field in three of four games coming off the bench.
Now, fans are questioning head coach Mitch Johnson’s overreliance on Fox as the starter. Many will point to the late-game mistakes from Victor Wembanyama as the problem, but those are expected from a 22-year-old.
The Spurs find themselves in a 3-1 Finals deficit that only LeBron James has managed to climb out of, and Fox will need to be much better if they want to make history.
