The San Antonio Spurs are 5-0 for the first time in franchise history.
The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Miami Heat 107-101, led by another great performance from Victor Wembaneyama.
The 21-year-old had 27 points on 10-of-23 shooting, 18 rebounds, six assists and five blocks.
San Antonio looks like a strong contender in the Western Conference, as the Spurs’ young core is on the upswing and Wembangyama appears to have the upper hand and a winner’s mentality.
What’s remarkable about the Spurs’ success thus far is that it all comes without starting point guard De’Aaron Fox.
Fox continues to deal with right hamstring tightness. He was injured during summer practice in late July or early August.
The Spurs signed Fox to a four-year, $229 million contract extension this summer.
Paul Pierce suggested that if the Spurs don’t play well when Fox returns, they may need to consider trading him.
“They’re playing well without him. If he comes back and doesn’t play well, that’s pressure…”
“If I were the GM, we’re looking at us right now. We could really move forward. We might have to trade Fox and get another position, another big veteran. I like the young guards and we need to develop them. They’re on the same timeline as Wenby. They’re on the same timeline as Wenby.”
“We’re not in a hurry to win the championship, but if Spurs are in the top two or three after half the season, maybe we can win it with the Wenbanyama kid we have now, because he’s dynamic.”
San Antonio’s early season success has people questioning whether Fox is even needed.
They have their future point guard, rookie Dylan Harper, waiting on the side and he has played well to start the season.
Danny Green echoed Pierce’s sentiments, saying he may have to make a decision if the Spurs don’t need Fox.
“You pay that kind of money for a guy you don’t want to let go of right away, you want to give him time.
“But if you don’t need him, you know what this job means.
“You save money by letting cheaper players play at maximum level.”
It will be interesting to see what the Spurs do if Fox returns to the team.