The Spurs have opened the season looking every bit like a problem, but one of their biggest offseason decisions is still drawing side-eye around the league.
San Antonio is 6-2 and Victor Wembanyama has played like an MVP candidate, even if the early schedule has been relatively soft. The bigger surprise is that the Spurs’ only major summer addition, Tobias Harris, still hasn’t played because of a calf strain. That leaves San Antonio running with essentially the same group it had last season.
The one notable tweak has come in the backcourt. Julian Champagnie has been pushed to the bench in favor of Dylan Harper, giving the Spurs three downhill guards to mix around Wembanyama and Devin Vassell. The starting group has been excellent, posting a +28 net rating, but the second unit has clearly taken a hit.
That’s why some around the NBA think San Antonio should undo the change and put Harper back in a reserve role. On most teams, Harper would already be starting. But the Spurs are not most teams, and they already have two other star point guards in the mix.
“The choice to move 20-year-old Dylan Harper from super sixth man to starter and pair him with 22-year-old Stephon Castle and 28-year-old De’Aaron Fox was driven by a need to relieve pressure in their crowded backcourt,” explained The Athletic's Sam Amick. “It may ultimately work, not only on the court but as a workaround of sorts to the prospect of potentially trading Fox, that doesn’t mean there isn’t risk involved. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, as they say.”
Fox does not appear to be on the trade block right now, but the roster still leaves San Antonio with a tricky rotation decision. As long as all three guards are on hand, one of them has to anchor the second unit. If the Spurs are going to test different looks, this is the window to do it.
“To me, I feel like they know they are so good that they have enough time to kind of try to figure it out, but they are aware it’s not perfect,” an unnamed scout told Amick. “But especially with (the Oklahoma City Thunder’s) injuries now, they have enough room to see - 40, 50 games - to see if it’s working.
To me, it doesn’t look good. I think they had perfect chemistry last year and were dynamic with their lineups.
It never made sense offensively (to make that change).”
Fans have been pushing for Harper to return to the bench, not because of anything he’s done wrong, but because it would better balance the team’s star power. For now, though, Mitch Johnson appears set to stick with the current setup.
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For now, though, the timing leaves one key wrinkle. Agbaji did not make the opening-day roster, but he is expected to debut at the Spurs home opener, giving the organization a little time to sort out how he fits into the early part of the schedule. With the G League season structure always demanding quick adjustments, Austins upcoming stretch should offer a first look at whether this move is simply a depth play or something more interesting for the Spurs system. [Read more 🡒]
Devin Vassell Suddenly Faces A Spurs Decision He May Not Like
The Spurs are still waiting to see how Tobias Harris fits into the mix, but his eventual debut could force a lineup conversation that reaches straight into Devin Vassells role. Vassell has been starting and has done well in that spot, yet San Antonio also has enough forward depth coming off the bench that the coaching staff may have to rethink how it wants to balance the rotation once Harris is available.
For a team trying to sort out its best combinations, this is less about one player losing ground than about finding the cleanest fit around a new piece. Vassell has earned his minutes, but the Spurs may decide the most efficient version of the group comes with him in a different role, depending on how Harris looks when he finally gets on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Face One Concern In A Very Winnable Kings Matchup
The Spurs head into Golden 1 Center with a chance to keep building early momentum in an NBA Cup group game against a Kings team that has stumbled badly out of the gate. San Antonio has already won four of the last five meetings between the teams since the De'Aaron Fox trade, and Victor Wembanyama has been central to the Spurs strong start this season.
Still, this is the kind of matchup that can get tricky if San Antonio lets the circumstances dictate the game. Both sides are dealing with a long injury and G League absence list, which can change the feel of a contest quickly, even when the records suggest one team should have the upper hand. For the Spurs, the concern is less about who they are playing and more about making sure a very winnable night does not turn into one they have to chase. [Read more 🡒]