The Spurs’ starting backcourt has been one of the league’s early talking points, and the trio of De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle has given San Antonio a look that’s talented, a little awkward on paper, and working better than plenty expected. Michael Pina of The Athletic pointed out that with Harper’s breakout rookie season and the respect Fox and Castle have already built, head coach Mitch Johnson didn’t really have another path.
That group has helped push the Spurs to an 8-2 record entering Monday’s games, and the fit has been cleaner than the spacing concerns suggested. Castle and Harper bring the size to hold up defensively, while Devin Vassell has been willing to guard up as a de facto starting power forward. Offensively, all three ball-handlers can get downhill, collapse the defense and either finish at the rim or set up Victor Wembanyama for lobs.
There are still obvious issues to sort through, but the early signs are encouraging because the players appear to understand the tradeoffs. Pina’s read is that each of them knows what the group needs and what has to be given up for the whole thing to function.
Elsewhere in the division, Carter Bryant’s role in San Antonio has taken a few turns. He carved out a solid bench spot as a rookie, but his 2026/27 season got off to a bumpier start.
After appearing in the Spurs’ first seven games, he seemed to slide out of the rotation in favor of Harrison Barnes. Johnson said the issue came down to minutes, not anything deeper.
“We got a lot of guys,” Johnson said. “There’s not enough minutes to go around.
So I just need (Bryant) to keep doing what he’s doing, just continue to stay with the process.”
Bryant didn’t speak publicly about the decision, but he did post a Bible quote on Instagram that began, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”. He then logged just three minutes across the next two games before getting 17 minutes in the win over the Trail Blazers.
After that one, Johnson made it clear he liked what he saw. “He’s a huge part of this team,” Johnson said.
“He’s going to be a huge part of this team moving forward and just really happy that he was ready to go and he brought the energy and the physicality and the aggressiveness that is the best version of him.”
In New Orleans, Saddiq Bey has been doing more than filling a quiet role. He followed a 22-point performance in a win over the Jazz with an emotional reaction afterward, explaining, “Just trying to win the game,” Bey said of his reaction afterward.
“The fans have been with us through thick and thin every game. Was just trying to show them appreciation and trying to get the team and the flow going.
Just trying to end a tough, long game.”
Bey has been one of the Pelicans’ bright spots this season and is drawing Sixth Man of the Year attention. He came into Monday averaging 16.1 points in 27.0 minutes per game, and coach Jamahl Mosley praised the way he carries himself.
“He is the ultimate professional,” Mosley said. “He comes in and does his work.
Doesn’t say much. Gets his job done.
He is the ultimate competitor. You can’t ask for a better model of how you should approach the game than Saddiq Bey.”
Zach Edey, meanwhile, is looking ahead to another chapter with Team Canada. He had previously withdrawn from consideration for Canada’s 2024 Olympic bid while preparing to begin his NBA career with the Grizzlies, but he said he wants to return to representing his country.
“If I’m healthy, I’m playing,” Edey said when asked about his future with Team Canada. “That’s it.”
In Other News...
Spurs Suddenly Have A Devin Vassell Decision That Could Shift Everything
Devin Vassells status has become one of the more important pregame storylines for the Spurs as they get ready to face the Suns. He is listed as questionable with left adductor tightness, and that matters because San Antonio has already been leaning on his scoring and spacing while trying to settle into a rhythm. Vassells recent shooting has also been part of the conversation, making his availability more than just a routine injury note.
If he cannot go, Julian Champagnie is expected to slide into the starting lineup, which would give the Spurs a different look on the wing. That kind of adjustment can ripple through the rotation quickly, especially against a Suns team that will punish any offensive timing issues. For San Antonio, the question is not only whether Vassell can suit up, but how much the lineup changes if he cannot. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Gets A Chance To Silence One Spurs Rivals Confidence
Dillon Brooks has been willing to talk like he has Victor Wembanyama figured out, leaning on the early matchups between the two to make his case. Most of those meetings came when Wembanyama was still in his rookie year or just into his second season, which matters now because the Spurs center is not the same player he was then. He has added strength, sharpened his decisions and put together a strong season that looks a lot more like the version San Antonio expected when it drafted him.
That is what makes the next meeting so interesting from the Spurs side. Brooks may be carrying confidence from what happened before, but those results do not automatically travel with him when Wembanyama is playing with more physicality and a clearer sense of how to control a game. For San Antonio, it is a chance to see whether one of the leagues most outspoken defenders can still bother a player who has already shown he can keep evolving past old scouting reports. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Spurs Showed One Unbeaten Trait Fans Should Notice
The Austin Spurs opened their home slate at H-E-B Center with a 115-103 win over the Laketown Squadron, and the early signs of cohesion were hard to miss. JaKobi Gillespie set the tone with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Terry Taylor supplied a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds as Austin kept its unbeaten start rolling.
For a team still settling into the season, the bigger takeaway may be how comfortably the Spurs are sharing the load and dictating the pace in the first week. At 2-0, they head into their Tip-Off Tournament matchup with the Memphis Hustle carrying momentum, and a chance to show whether this balanced start is a real early-season trait or just a strong opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]