The San Antonio Spurs are heading into the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.
Into that series, the biggest question hanging over San Antonio has been the health of De’Aaron Fox. After everything this postseason, the answer, at last, feels like a good one.
Fox has been dealing with a right high ankle sprain since the Minnesota series. He missed the first two games of the Western Conference Finals against Oklahoma City, then came back and played through the final four games at a solid level.
Coach Mitch Johnson was asked about Fox’s health ahead of Game 1, and his update offered real reason for optimism.
Mitch Johnson Gives De’Aaron Fox Injury Update Before NBA Finals Game 1
GettyDe’Aaron Fox’s injury status remains a key storyline as the San Antonio Spurs prepare to face the New York Knicks.
Johnson did not hold back when asked about Fox’s toughness through it all. Per SNY Knicks:
“Yeah, very impressive. I mean, it goes actually back, Tommy, to Minnesota, right? Like, he’s been playing with that now for two series. He’s had it re-aggravated at times, and his level of toughness physically, mentally, at some stage, probably his value was just being out there, right? Like, there’s certain things, I think, that we’ve learned with our group that lend to our style of play and brand that, you know, a turnover is a stat, but not making turnovers not a stat. And so, there’s times when we didn’t make a turnover that helped our offense.”
He then explained how Fox’s return changed things on the floor, even before the production picked up.
“And so, when Dylan got healthier and De’Aaron was able to play in that series, things flipped for us a lot of times where, you know, maybe we made a shot or maybe we had an outcome we wanted, but there was a lot of other times where just not turning the ball over was really beneficial for us because maybe that allowed us to miss a shot and set our defense. Obviously, as the series wore on, his impact became greater in terms of production on a box score, but his impact was instant the moment that he got back into a jersey and was available for us. And I’m not sure to answer the question 100%, but it feels like it’s moving in a better direction, I hope he’s better tomorrow than he is today and so on and so forth since our last game.”
What De’Aaron Fox’s Health Means for the Spurs Against the Knicks
GettyThe San Antonio Spurs received a fresh update on De’Aaron Fox’s injury before their NBA Finals matchup with the New York Knicks.
Johnson did not indicate that Fox is perfectly healthy. The signs are pointing in the right direction, however, and the Spurs have even had a little more time to rest between series. This really matters, especially with a stubborn ankle injury that has been bothering the player for a few weeks.
Johnson’s reply also made it clear that the team was very different when Fox was playing, even though he was not at his best physically. Mistakes with the ball were less frequent. Running the offense became a lot easier. The defense was given better chances to work. This is a genuine effect, even if it is not always recorded in the statistics.
Fox averaged 18.6 points per game during the regular season, second on the team behind Victor Wembanyama. His ability to run the offense cleanly alongside Dylan Harper is something the Knicks will have to prepare for, and a healthier Fox makes that a much more serious problem for New York.
San Antonio Spurs fought with courage to get to the Finals and couldn’t avoid getting injured. If Fox keeps improving, the Spurs’ potential is bigger than most people thought when the Knicks-Spurs game was announced.
Spurs Coach Shares De’Aaron Fox Injury Update Before Game 1 vs. Knicks