The Spurs are taking the long view with Harris, and they’re not hiding it. Head coach Mitch Johnson said the veteran’s rehab is being handled “very, very methodically” as the team works to fold him into the rotation.
Johnson made it clear the plan is patience over speed. “ We need to just be patient and make sure we get it all the way right and get him all the way right in terms of being ready to prepare to play an NBA game at the (fast-paced) style of play we want,” he said.
That cautious stance fits the way teams around the league have approached calf strains this season, especially with the growing attention being paid to the link between those injuries and Achilles tears. Johnson pointed to the medical staff’s work while stressing that the Spurs are not rushing anything.
“ It’s a calf strain, so that’s a thing we’ve seen can be tricky,” Johnson said. “ And so I think the medical (staff) has done a great job of trying to keep him engaged and trying to continue to progress in the right direction, but at the same time, being patient and not getting ahead of ourselves and understanding we have 70 whatever games left.”
Elsewhere in San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama keeps piling up points at a career-best clip. Through six games, he’s averaging 28.0 points per game, even though his shooting numbers from deep and at the line would both be career lows: 29.7% from three and 74.4% on free throws.
Even with that production, Jared Weiss of The Athletic noted that Wembanyama still doesn’t have the kind of signature move that often becomes part of a star’s identity. Wembanyama said he respects that kind of legacy, citing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook, but his focus is on something more immediate: finding reliable go-to spots and moves.
“ If it has to become a signature move, it should be naturally, ” Wembanyama said. “ But now, going to go-to moves and go-to spots, this is something you can control.
Because the signature move is somewhat of a narrative, you can’t really control it. Because you got to go win the game.”
Stephon Castle’s night against the Wolves was quieter than usual, but there was a reason. He entered Saturday averaging 17.4 points in 30.8 minutes, then finished with zero points in 22 minutes, along with three turnovers, four fouls, four assists and five rebounds.
Afterward, Johnson said Castle had been battling a migraine but still suited up for the win. “ A lot of people wouldn’t have went into work if they were feeling like Steph Castle and sometimes in this sport it doesn’t get enough attention,” Johnson said.
“ Steph Castle clocked in for work tonight, and we needed every second of it, and he probably shouldn’t have.”
De’Aaron Fox also gave the Spurs a performance that stands out in franchise history. On Saturday, he scored 22 points on 80% shooting, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out seven assists, a combination that Orsborn noted has happened only five times for a Spur. Fox has been sharing the spotlight with younger names like Wembanyama and Dylan Harper at times, but his start has been a major reason the offense has stayed organized.
Wembanyama, who led the team with 43 points, summed up Fox’s impact simply: “ We know to go to him,” Wembanyama said, despite leading the team in scoring with 43 points. “ We know to put the ball in his hands.
He knows to go get the ball. And he’s been reacting defensively too.
So, it’s a true point guard.”
In Other News...
Wembanyama Opens Up About The Scare That Changed Everything
Victor Wembanyamas early-2025 blood clot scare did more than end his 2024-25 season with the Spurs ahead of schedule. It also forced a reset in how he sees himself, both as a player and as a person, and he has been open about the way the health issue changed his outlook on life and basketball.
For San Antonio, the most striking part is how that experience appears to have carried over into his day-to-day presence with the team. Wembanyama says he has become more expressive and emotionally engaged, and he has linked the ordeal to both personal growth and better play, a reminder that the biggest developments around a young star are not always measured in points or blocks. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Brought A Wild Halloween Look To Wolves Night
Victor Wembanyama turned the pregame scene into part costume party, part pop-culture nod before the Spurs took on the Timberwolves, showing up dressed as Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher. It fit neatly with his well-known interest in fantasy literature, and it also continued a Halloween tradition that has become a little annual subplot around the Spurs, with other players joining in on the fun.
For San Antonio, the timing added a bit of extra color to a night that came with some momentum after a recent winning streak. Wembanyamas third Halloween-themed NBA arrival was less about the game itself than the personality around it, the kind of detail that makes a young star feel larger than the box score before the opening tip. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Harper Is Answering The Spurs' Biggest Offensive Question
Dylan Harpers latest home performance gave the Spurs another reminder of how much their young backcourt can change the shape of a game. In the win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Harper posted a season-high 25 points, hitting 9 of 17 shots and knocking down two threes, a useful sign for a team trying to stretch its offense beyond the paint and create more room for DeAaron Fox and Stephon Castle to operate.
What makes Harpers night more than a one-off scoring burst is the way his long-range touch has started to trend in the right direction over several games. For San Antonio, that development matters because the guard trios ceiling depends on whether all three can punish defenses from deep, turning the Spurs from a team with promising pieces into one with a much harder-to-guard offense. [Read more 🡒]