The "De'Aaron Fox can't shoot" crowd is having a rough go of it right now. The Spurs' speedy point guard stepped up to the plate when his team needed him to and secured a victory against a team they have no business losing to. So, they didn't. San Antonio knocked off Sacramento 123-110 without Victor Wembanyama for the game and Stephon Castle missing the second half.
Make no mistake about it; the Kings are a terrible team this year. They've been tinkering with their lineups nonstop, trying to find something that works to no avail. That only put more emphasis on the need to walk away with a win. Wemby or no Wemby, if the Spurs are who we think they are, they needed to [kick Fox's former team out](https://airalamo.com/spurs-critical-bounce-back-game-gives-deaaron-fox-perfect-shot-at-revenge) of Alamo City with a big fat loss.
Swipa put up 28 points and 11 assists in what had to feel like a game needed to right the ship. The Spurs were coming off [two consecutive losses](https://airalamo.com/horrific-spurs-losses-include-major-lesson-mitch-johnson-should-never-forget) to the Golden State Warriors, and Fox had a chance to win the last one on a clutch shot at the end of the game. Any competitor would want to bounce back from that, and he was nearly flawless today.
Fox continues to prove that he's the man for the job
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I would be remiss if I didn't mention the rest of the players. This was a full team win, and with the way Stephon Castle was manipulating the game in the first half, it would have been easy to get discouraged when he was ruled out for the final two quarters. That's what a young team would have done, considering they were already missing Victor and Dylan Harper has yet to return.
Despite the age of Mitch Johnson's core, many of the guys have already grown up, and the added veterans have been added perfectly to ensure a steady ship. Harrison Barnes was incredibly efficient, putting up 20 points on 7/11 from the field and 3/6 from three. Luke Kornet gave the team 13 points on 5/5 shots. Kelly Olynyk even got involved, putting in five points, including one three-pointer.
These guys were all brought in to contribute to the ultimate goal because nobody is looking for moral victories this season. They want to get into the playoffs and make noise. Fox is going to be a huge part of that, and he's shown why he's perfect for this role since he's returned.
The new franchise point guard is a dynamic scorer who can get his shot off whenever he wants. He's also a heady, unselfish player who leads the team by example. Two losses in a row were more than enough. Fox made sure that number didn't increase, and they got back on the right side of the winning column.
Since he's been back on the floor, he's done whatever was needed of him. He plays on and off the ball, defends, and steps up when the team needs him to score, and he'll be the reason they win a playoff series or two in this year's postseason.