The Spurs didn't quite give the New Orleans the belt, but they sent them back to the Boot with a big fat loss, and that's what really matters. De'Aaron Fox showed up for work, putting all of his critics and naysayers on notice. But that's really par for the course. That's what he does. It was always silly to question him, so that's not the real story. The biggest nod should go to Stephon Castle.
The former UConn champion got a chance to go back to his true role as an off-guard who can make plays off of instinct. Castle can run the offense in spurts, but when he gets to read and react without being the initiator, things are easier for him. It led to a 14-point, 14-assist night, tying his career high in the latter stat.
It's a true testament to the nature of players. You can try to put guys wherever you think they fit, but they've played this game their entire lives. They come into the league with strengths and weaknesses. It was easy to see where he thrived as an athlete and playmaker, but there are levels to it, and he just showed everyone how high his ceiling could be as a distributor in the right circumstances.
Playing off-ball will help Castle eat defenses up
The truth of the matter is that most teams don't have strong enough defensive schemes to stop everyone. You have to dedicate your best perimeter defender to either Fox or (funny enough) Victor Wembanyama, leaving a weaker link on Castle. That weak link could come in the form of a lesser defender, but it could also just be the one flaw in the scheme.
Great offenses force the opposition to pick their poison. Tonight, they chose to stop Wemby first, and when D. Fox heated up, they dedicated more attention to him. That means you can't collapse on Steph as hard, and he made them pay for it, regardless of his shot not falling.
That's why he's the story after going 0-6 from three: he only had two turnovers to go with his 14 assists, despite coming into this game leading the league in that category.
The Spurs are 7-2 after nine games, where nothing was the same. Every night has been a brand-new escapade for the guys, but they keep finding ways to win, and this time, they did it with Fox back in the lineup.
Swipa finally made his "long-awaited" (it wasn't that long) debut and dropped 24 points, but no basket was more important than the finisher he made at the end of the fourth quarter after the Pelicans cut the lead down to three points.
It was the perfect exclamation point on a stellar night for him. He had a burst in the second quarter when the Silver and Black were in a bit of a rut—something they've been prone to experiencing. Next thing you know, it went from a three-point game to a 17-point game. They fought back, but it only gave Fox another chance to show off. He and Castle will be a force for this team. Just give them time.