The Spurs may eventually roll out the starting five Mitch Johnson laid out before the preseason game against Atlanta, but they still haven’t gotten the chance to actually use it. De’Aaron Fox has been sidelined by “soreness” and “tightness,” and when San Antonio does finally put that group on the floor, it projects as one of the smallest opening units in the NBA.
That feels like a strange way to go for a roster the Spurs spent the offseason making bigger.
The expected lineup is Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama. With Vassell listed at 6-foot-5 and Castle at 6-foot-6, the only real size up front comes from Wembanyama. In a league that has tilted smaller and may have only about a third of teams using “big” power forwards, San Antonio could still be leaning too hard into that style.
And that’s where Tobias Harris comes in.
If Harris is healthy after recovering from a left calf strain, he looks like the cleaner answer at power forward. The Spurs do not need to make their own lives harder by asking too much from a lineup that already skews light.
Last season, San Antonio held up decently on the glass overall, but bigger opponents still caused problems. Rebounds became tougher to secure, and too often the other team got extra chances simply by bringing more energy and physicality.
That isn’t just about height. It’s about bodies.
Harris isn’t a huge rebounding machine on paper - he averaged 5.1 boards per game in the regular season - but that climbed to 7.2 in the playoffs. At 15 years into his career, he has the kind of veteran feel that matters here. He doesn’t need to crash every possession, but at 226 pounds he can carve out space, box out, and let teammates clean up the play.
Would he have completely stopped second-year center Khaman Maluach from pulling down 15 rebounds in 23 minutes the other night, with Mark Williams and Miles Bridges out? Probably not.
But he likely would have helped. Harris is harder to move, and in the NBA, good positioning still does a lot of the heavy lifting.
The timing matters, too. It’s still preseason, so teams are experimenting.
But the opener is only eight days away, and Oklahoma City is a particularly poor team to test a tiny lineup against. The Thunder play big, and if Harris isn’t ready by then, the Spurs would be left deciding whether Vassell or Castle should try to handle Chet Holmgren.
Holmgren didn’t have the best Western Conference Finals, but he is still plenty dangerous and will have motivation of his own. If San Antonio puts someone that small on him, it could create a problem the Spurs build for themselves. Wembanyama can cover for a lot, but he can’t keep two players off the glass at once.
The small look may work eventually. It just does not feel like the right opening-night experiment, especially when Harris is available as a sturdier option.
If the Spurs want to open with a three-guard group and Harris still isn’t healthy, starting 6-foot-7 Julian Champagnie makes more sense. Juju averaged 5.8 rebounds last season, and that kind of size on the wing would at least give San Antonio a better chance of matching up physically.
In Other News...
Spurs Face A De'Aaron Fox Dilemma That Could Free Their Young Backcourt
A recent trade idea has put the Spurs in an interesting spot around DeAaron Fox, with the discussion centered less on what he has already done in San Antonio and more on how his presence shapes the rest of the roster. Bleacher Reports Greg Swartz floated a scenario involving Houston that would reshape both teams, and from the Spurs side it raises a familiar question for a rebuilding club: how much should fit matter when the long-term picture is still coming into focus?
For San Antonio, the bigger appeal may be what opens up behind Fox. A move like this would clear a path for Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle to share the backcourt, giving the Spurs a chance to lean further into their younger guards. It remains strictly speculative, and there is no indication either team is lining up to make it happen, but it is the sort of idea that naturally lingers because it speaks directly to the Spurs next phase. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Suddenly Need De'Aaron Fox For More Than Just Preseason Minutes
The Spurs have opened preseason with a pair of losses, even with Dylan Harper giving them reason to pay attention in both games. San Antonio has other established pieces in place already, with Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama set in their roles, so the point guard spot remains the most interesting battle on the roster as the team sorts out its backcourt.
De'Aaron Fox's return to the starting lineup is now expected to matter for more than just getting him back into game shape. The Spurs need a little more edge and urgency in these exhibition games, and Fox brings a level of competitiveness that can sharpen the group while the staff evaluates how the guard rotation should settle. For now, he and Harper are the two names to watch as San Antonio decides what the pecking order looks like. [Read more 🡒]
Harrison Barnes Just Entered A Spurs Debate Fans Did Not Expect
Harrison Barnes didnt arrive in San Antonio with much mystery around his role, but the conversation around him has shifted anyway. After re-signing on a one-year deal and taking a pay cut, the veteran forward found himself in a Spurs rotation that only got more crowded, and his minutes dipped during the teams recent playoff run. For a club trying to sort out its future while keeping enough proven depth around Victor Wembanyama, Barnes has become a useful measuring stick for how the roster is taking shape.
The tension now is less about Barnes value as a steady presence and more about what that value means in a forward room with too many bodies and not enough clear answers. San Antonio has several wings and forwards competing for time, which is why Barnes has surfaced as a potential trade piece despite the respect he commands inside the locker room. The Spurs dont need to rush anything, but the fit question is starting to linger, and its one of those roster debates that could follow them well into the summer. [Read more 🡒]