SAN ANTONIO - The Spurs are still in the early stages of finding out what their three-guard lineup can really become, but the outline is already clear: plenty of playmaking, plenty of pressure, and a whole lot of adjustment along the way.
Devin Vassell laid out the challenge simply at practice Thursday. With De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper and Steph Castle all on the floor together, opposing defenses won’t get an easy read.
"You don't know who to pick up," he said at practice on Thursday. "It's (De'Aaron) Fox, it's Dylan (Harper), it's Steph (Castle).
We have five ball handlers that can come down and attack the basket and make a play. So I think it's going to be tough for other teams."
That was the thinking when Mitch Johnson put Fox, Castle, Harper, Vassell and Victor Wembanyama into the starting group ahead of San Antonio’s preseason opener. Getting that unit real game reps, though, has been another story. Fox’s late scratch against the Atlanta Hawks pushed back the trio’s debut, and a preseason that has been interrupted by injuries and planned rest has made chemistry harder to build than anyone would like.
Vassell isn’t pretending the group has it all figured out yet.
"It's not going to be perfect," Vassell explained. "We're just figuring it out.
Offensively, defensively, it's going to take time, but ... I'm excited for it, and we're going to get better."
Johnson, for his part, never sounded torn about the idea. Before the Spurs’ 123-103 preseason win over the Suns, he made it plain that the talent level carried the decision.
"I understand the narrative," Johnson said ahead of the Spurs' 123-103 preseason victory over the Suns. "I always land (at) the same reasoning: they're three of our better players."
The first outing for that starting five wasn’t exactly smooth. Fox, Harper and Castle combined to shoot 1-for-10, and the group finished with a minus-1 net rating. That’s the kind of early wobble Johnson expected from a lineup that has barely had the chance to settle in.
"It's the first time that group's played together," Johnson said. "It's been a very stop-and-go preseason in terms of lineup, so we're just trying to get into a little bit of a rhythm."
Once the group found its footing, the upside showed up in a hurry. Fox threw down a dunk over Suns forward Rasheer Fleming, Fox and Harper hit 60 percent of their 3-point attempts, and Castle attacked his way to a team-high 15 free throw tries. The three guards combined for 36 points and shared the court for 11 minutes.
That shot-making looks like the key that can open everything else for the Spurs.
"When we're making shots, it allows other guys to be able to get downhill," Fox said. "We can spread the defense out. Teams know what we want to do ... a lot of our season - a lot of how special that first group (can) be - it's going to be predicated on how we shoot the ball."
There are still obvious issues to sort through. Vassell is part of the frontcourt alignment with Wembanyama, and that can leave San Antonio vulnerable against bigger lineups.
That means the guards have to do more than handle the ball and score. They’ll need to rebound, pressure the ball and help keep the defense organized.
"I think defensively ... we're just really sound," Castle said. "I think rebounding is probably just going to be our biggest issue for right now. But I think if we hone in on that, it's going to make our offense a lot easier, and I think we're just going to be flowing."
Vassell said Wembanyama can’t be the answer to everything on the glass, even with the French star anchoring the paint. The guards have the size to pitch in, and they know it has to be part of the job when they’re all on the floor together.
"When we have our anchor down there with Vic, we've got to make sure that we (don't) rely on him too, too much," Vassell said. "We still got to board. And with Dylan, with Steph, with me - I mean, we're all bigger guards - we've got to be able to get down there and crash."
Johnson echoed that point.
"It's going to be important for everybody to play their part in that lineup."
The coach isn’t asking for a final verdict in October. The preseason has been too uneven for that, and the group still has to learn when to push, when to space the floor and when to let someone else take over. The Spurs know the work ahead, but they also know what they’re trying to preserve: the upside of a lineup that doesn’t look conventional, but is built around talent.
Wembanyama, at least, doesn’t sound worried about the fit.
Asked how confident he is that the three-guard lineup will be effective in the regular season, he smiled.
"Just as confident as last year," Wembanyama said. "Nobody got worse."
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