Dylan Harper got a glimpse of what the Spurs want to build, even if the full version had to wait.
A late scratch from De'Aaron Fox kept San Antonio from rolling out its projected starting backcourt trio in the preseason opener against the Atlanta Hawks, but the plan remains intact for Saturday against the Phoenix Suns. If Fox is available, Harper, Fox and Stephon Castle will finally get the chance to share the floor from the opening tip.
That group has been a long time coming. Harper entered the league with the kind of all-around tools that suggested a bigger role was inevitable, and after starting only four games as a rookie, he showed during San Antonio's run to the NBA Finals that he could handle more. The remaining question was how he would mesh with two established starters.
Mitch Johnson answered that question with his lineup card before the preseason opener, slotting Harper, Castle and Fox into the first five. Fox never got the chance to join them, but Johnson's belief in the trio hasn't changed.
"They are extremely dynamic and talented," Johnson said on Thursday. "It's as much of allowing them to be on the court and learn how to complement and play with each other (as it is) us as a staff ... to put them in situations and environments to be successful."
Harper sees the fit in straightforward terms. All three guards can attack the paint, bend defenses and create for others, which gives San Antonio a lot of ways to stress opponents.
The challenge is making all of that work without crowding the floor. Johnson said the guards' speed and athleticism have to be paired with spacing, ball movement and smart shot selection. That means everyone else on the roster has to understand where to be and when to move so the offense doesn't bog down.
"It's a delicate ecosystem," Johnson explained. "It's the Julians (Champagnie) and the Devins (Vassell) and the Harrisons (Barnes) sprinting all the way to the corner to create gravity that way. It's Victor (Wembanyama), obviously, in a variety of ways."
Wembanyama sounds fully on board with the job description.
"It's the key to our offense," the Frenchman said. "It's not too hard."
The Spurs know the spacing can't come from the guards alone. They need perimeter scoring from other spots too so defenses can't simply load up on one attacker and ignore the rest. Harper's shooting is part of that equation.
He hit 34.3 percent from three last season, the best mark among Harper, Castle and Fox, and Johnson said the second-year guard has already taken steps forward.
"He's shown improvement since the start of his rookie year," Johnson said. "Whether it's the consistency of the mechanics or the percentages ... they're heading in the right direction."
Johnson also pointed to Harper's work ethic and talent, while noting that the next step is learning exactly where his chances will come in San Antonio's offense. As the game slows down for him, those reads should start happening faster and with less hesitation.
Harper said the other side of the ball matters just as much. If the Spurs want to run, they first have to get stops and control the defensive end.
"The only way we can get out and run is if we get stops," Harper said. "The defensive side of the ball ... is definitely a big emphasis (for us). Just getting stops and running."
The early returns on the Fox-Castle-Harper combination aren't exactly definitive. The three guards shared just 25 minutes during the regular season and another 44 in the playoffs, and both samples came with negative net ratings.
That doesn't mean the Spurs are backing away from the idea. Johnson plans to use the preseason to keep testing lineups, let Wembanyama keep building chemistry with the guards and give Harper more reps in the starting group. There will be growing pains.
Harper, though, isn't worried about the fit. He believes the trio's willingness to share the ball and punish defenses in different ways will make the whole thing work.
"We're going to be really hard to guard," Harper said. "It's going to be great."
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That is where Stephon Castle comes in, since the conversation around the roster has increasingly centered on whether he is better used in a secondary playmaking role or as more of an off-ball presence. For San Antonio, the appeal is obvious. Getting both guards into the spots that suit them best could sharpen the offense and make the pairing more natural, but the bigger question is whether the Spurs are ready to commit to that kind of hierarchy this early in the process. [Read more 🡒]