There’s a strong case that the Spurs’ most effective group doesn’t need to be the one that opens games. De’Aaron Fox may still keep his spot in the starting five next season, with Dylan Harper coming off the bench, but the lineup that gives San Antonio its best shot is a different look entirely.
That version runs through Harper.
Last season, San Antonio’s best two-man combination among pairs with at least 600 minutes was Harper and Victor Wembanyama. That duo outperformed both Stephon Castle and Wembanyama, and Fox and Wembanyama, in net rating.
The Harper-Castle pairing also graded better than Castle alongside Fox. Put all of that together, and the clearest answer points to a group of Harper, Castle, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie and Wembanyama.
That doesn’t mean Fox is out of the picture when games get tight. He could absolutely be part of the closing mix, but nothing should be handed to him.
If San Antonio wants to lean on Fox in crunch time, he has to earn that role. One option is a five of Fox, Harper, Castle, Vassell and Wembanyama, a group the Spurs already used against the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks in the NBA playoffs.
The bigger issue is whether Fox can be trusted in late-game moments if his execution isn’t there. Last season, that was a problem. Even more striking, it came from a player who once won Clutch Player of the Year.
That showed up in the NBA Finals, too. The Spurs saw Fox struggle in those situations, while Harper delivered. If San Antonio wants its three-point-guard setup to work, the answer is going to be flexibility - mixing and matching, and playing the two best options when the game is on the line.
Harper gives them a lot to work with. He’s already a dangerous slasher who gets to the rim easily and finishes with both touch and force. He also holds his own defensively, and while Fox can do that as well, Harper brings more size and more positional versatility.
He wasn’t asked to do much as a playmaker last season, but the tools are there. Just as important, he doesn’t bring the same turnover concerns that Castle has.
San Antonio has already seen how well Harper and Castle can work together in closing situations. They finished both Game 1 and Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder, and despite some turnover issues - mostly from Castle - the pairing produced strong results. In Game 1, they combined for 41 points, 17 assists and 17 rebounds.
The Spurs used Castle, Harper, Vassell, Champagnie and Wembanyama more than any other lineup in those games, and that matters. There’s real evidence this can work.
That five-man group gives San Antonio size across the board, with four perimeter players listed at 6-4 or taller and enough length to switch. It also brings rebounding, spacing, ball-handling and playmaking, all wrapped around a 7'4 big man who holds the whole thing together.
Fox can still force his way into that mix. He just has to show it.
In Other News...
Harrison Barnes Faces A New Spurs Reality He Can Still Shape
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What gives this pairing its intrigue is that Barnes can still shape the season without dominating it. His value now may come more from the way he helps younger teammates navigate the grind, sets the tone in the locker room and provides a model of how to handle a changing role, while the Spurs continue sorting out where everyone fits in a crowded pecking order. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhi Leonards Spurs Legacy Just Got Pulled Into A New Debate
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Eddie Johnson said Leonard should end up in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, but he expects the recent Clippers controversy to linger in the background for a while. The NBAs investigation found Leonards uncle had pushed the team for off-court income opportunities, leading to league discipline for the Clippers and several executives, while Leonard has denied any knowledge of wrongdoing through his agent. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyamas Rise Is Creating A Real Spurs Credit Problem
Victor Wembanyamas rise has changed the way the Spurs are viewed around the league, and not just because of what he does on the floor. His presence has made San Antonio a more appealing destination for other NBA players, while also giving teammates like Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper a chance to operate in bigger roles and lean into the defensive backbone the team is building around him.
The tradeoff is the kind of problem winning teams usually welcome. Castle has been part of a defense that ranks among the leagues best, but Wembanyamas gravity can make it harder for the work around him to get the individual credit it deserves. For San Antonio, that is a sign of how far the group has come. For Castle, it leaves an open question about how much recognition can break through when the franchise centerpiece is already drawing so much attention. [Read more 🡒]