Fox in the Spurs' Den, Luka’s LA Takeover, Butler’s Fit, and Amen’s Offensive Hustle

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Welcome to the NBA Librarian Weekly, where we curate and summarize the best NBA content of the week.

<1000 words each week. I consume so you don’t have to. Apologies for missing last week. Got an action packed Trade Deadline one this time!

Table of Contents

1. Luka + Mark Williams & What to Expect

2. Most Time Defending 20+ PPG Ball Handlers

3. Who Let the Fox Out?

4. Amen’s Creative Offense

5. Lakers Randomness v. Set Plays

6. Butler’s On Ball Efficiency + Curry’s Gravity

Luka + Mark Williams & What to Expect

In case you haven’t heard, the Lakers won the trade deadline, landing Luka Doncic and Mark Williams. This video is the best summary of what to expect:

• The concerns about Luka and LeBron’s fit are overblown. LeBron has quietly evolved into a deadly off-ball threat, hitting 44.3% of his 300+ catch-and-shoot threes over the past two seasons. Luka, while taking fewer (184 attempts), has still shot 38%.

• Mark Williams is a perfect lob threat for Luka. He’s also one of just two players attempting 10+ shots at the rim per 75 possessions (alongside Giannis) and ranks 9th in offensive rebounding (nearly 5 per 75 possessions).

• But defense is where things get dicey. Outside of Jared Vanderbilt, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Gabe Vincent, they have no real plus defenders. With Luka and Reaves in the backcourt and Williams struggling in drop coverage, they could be one of the worst defensive playoff teams in the league.

So what’s the verdict? They’re at worst a top-5 offense, but their title hopes hinge on whether they can fix their perimeter defense. This year, they might win a playoff series or two, but with the right offseason tweaks, the Lakers could be a problem in 2025.

Most Time Defending 20+ PPG Ball Handlers

The graphic speaks for itself—these are the guys logging the most minutes guarding 20+ PPG ball-handlers. The biggest standout? Jaylen Wells. The rookie is already handling heavy defensive assignments for the top-seeded Grizzlies, which says a lot about how much trust Memphis has in him.

No surprise seeing Dyson Daniels at the top of any defensive metric, but this makes his steal rate even more impressive. The fact that he can be such a disruptive weak-side defender while also taking on primary scoring threats just speaks volumes to what should be a All-Defensive season for him.

Who Let the Fox Out?

The Spurs landed De’Aaron Fox without giving up any core pieces—keeping Vassell, Sochan, and Castle while still maintaining cap space and draft flexibility. They hold 12 first-round picks through 2031, giving them plenty of ammo to keep building around Fox and Wemby.

And the on-court fit? Just as exciting.

Fox is one of the league’s best pick-and-roll ball-handlers, ranking 4th in points per possession among players with 7+ PnR possessions per game. He’s also shooting 54% in those situations, the best efficiency in the NBA. Pairing him with Wemby—a dominant roll man who can also pop out for jumpers—gives San Antonio a lethal offensive duo.

Fox also solves the Spurs’ biggest offensive weakness: rim pressure. San Antonio ranks 7th-fewest in drives per game, while Fox ranks 7th-most in the league, giving them a much-needed downhill attacker.

At 5.5 games back from the 6-seed, a playoff push is absolutely on the table. But the real win is what this means long-term—San Antonio now has a young All-Star next to Wemby, a war chest of draft picks, and the financial flexibility to keep improving.