Spurs are legitimate playoff threat after big trade

The trade that paired All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox with All-Star center Victor Wembanyama might not make the San Antonio Spurs a title contender right away. But it will make them a scary team to face in the playoffs.

San Antonio isn't in the playoff picture at all yet. It is sitting in 12th place in the Western Conference with a 21-25 record, two games behind Fox's old team, the Sacramento Kings. Despite having Wembanyama, the NBA's block leader with four per game while averaging 24.6 points, the Spurs have the league's No. 18 defense and No. 15 offense.

With Fox, the perimeter defense should get a lot better. The Spurs are only 23rd in steals, but Fox led the league in steals last season. Plus, his arrival pushes 39-year-old Chris Paul to a third guard role, replacing the porous defense of Tre Jones.

On offense, Fox provides a scoring dimension that isn't present anywhere on the Spurs roster. Devin Vassell is second on the team with 16.2 points per game but takes 46 percent of his shots behind the three-point arc. Wembanyama's shot diet is 48 percent three-pointers.

By contrast, Fox only takes 32.4 percent of his shots from three-point range. His 25 points per game come via two threes, 9.2 two-pointers and 4.5 free throws per game. Both the two-pointers and free throws are distinctly better than the second-best Spur in those categories, Wembanyama.

It's not just that the Spurs added an All-Star — they added an All-Star who plugs their biggest holes. In a playoff series, Fox will punish teams for double-teaming Wembanyama. Playing alongside Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell and rookie Stephon Castle, Fox and Wemby can make up an elite defensive unit in big moments. And in crunch time, Fox can create his shot or get to the line.

San Antonio still needs to get to the playoffs. But if it does, it is a team no one will want to play.