Even if you've been following the Spurs this playoffs—and I'd wager you have, based on the recent Victor Wembanyama injury news, potentially hamstringing the Spurs to an early playoff exit—you still probably haven't heard too much about De'Aaron Fox.
Despite his past All-Star appearances and his hefty contract, prior to Game 4, it's been nothing but crickets for De'Aaron Fox in the first round against the Portland Trail Blazers; his poor performances nearly cost San Antonio a vital Game 3 victory.
De'Aaron Fox's struggles nearly destroyed the Spurs' title run
Tied 1-1 going into a must-win Game 3 against the Portland Trail Blazers, the San Antonio Spurs absolutely needed the win on the road, and turned to their star guard De'Aaron Fox early and often.
Fox answered the challenge in the worst way possible—missing shots left and right, and letting Portland's lead guards blow right past him on the other end of the court en route to a marginal deficit in the third quarter.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson then seemed to flip a switch, limiting Fox's looks and instead operating his offense exclusively under the youngsters Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. The top-four picks combined for 60 points en route to a miracle Spurs victory, no thanks whatsoever to Fox.
To De'Aaron Fox's credit, in Game 4, the star stepped up. Fox converted on 11-of- 17 looks en route to 28 points and a Spurs victory to go up 3-1, including an impressive 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting in the fourth, when it mattered the most.
That being said, if you're paying a star $50M-$60M the next four seasons, you'd hope for a bit more consistency; a vital factor in any championship run.
Fox's struggles, while they may not cost the Spurs (yet), highlight one thing for the Hawks—they made the right call giving up Trae Young before his payday proved to be too great (perhaps, something like Fox's extension, valuing upwards of $60M in 2029-2030).
Onsi Saleh was always correct about the Trae Young dilemma
It all began last summer when Hawks fans expected a Trae Young extension but were left waiting, and waiting, and waiting....
The agreement was never agreed to verbally, never announced by Shams Charania, and ultimately never gave peace to the restless Hawks fans, nor to Young himself.
Speculation spread like wildfire, and it didn't help that the Hawks seemed to play better in Young's absence than with him on the floor through December.
Finally, Young was traded, and Hawks fans know the rest of the story—CJ McCollum has been a breath of fresh air in the playoffs, no longer the apparent consolation prize he was thought to be in January.
The Hawks succeeded on two fronts—not only did they activate their team-first system, greatly elevating the opportunities for near MVP-candidate Jalen Johnson, MIP winner Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and many other ancillary scorers, but they also saved about $50M in the checkbook, unlike the Spurs.
Hawks fans should be eternally grateful to Onsi Saleh. He's made excellent choice after excellent choice for the franchise, and will have all the wiggle room in the world this summer to bring in free agents of his choosing, thanks to the financial flexibility he created from the Trae Young trade.
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