Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is officially joining the San Antonio Spurs starting five on opening night alongside Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell… and De’Aaron Fox. But here’s the kicker: this means the Spurs are rolling out a three-guard lineup again, a setup that was consistently outscored significantly last season in both regular-season and postseason samples. It’s a bizarre choice that screams “temporary fix” for what’s clearly a long-term problem for their expensive veteran.
This Three-Guard Lineup Has Been a Disaster, So Far
Let’s be real, the Spurs barely used this three-guard lineup last season, and for good reason. It was absolutely demolished, getting outscored big time in both their 54-possession regular season and 83-possession postseason runs. So, why are they bringing it back? Sure, they managed to outscore the Phoenix Suns by 10 points in a recent preseason victory over 25 possessions, but even then, they only shot 2 of 9 on 3-pointers when all three guards were on the floor together. That’s the core issue here.
Harper, Fox, and Castle are all fantastic drivers, no doubt, but their 3-point shots are questionable, to say the least. Players like that thrive when they’re surrounded by actual shooters. They can get away with two of them on the court because, well, Victor Wembanyama is just a game-breaking force who can space the floor in dozens of ways. But with all three, the delicate balance between shooting and ball-handling completely tilts too far toward the latter. Ball-handling just doesn’t amplify a lineup like shooting does, and opponents are going to cheat off the two guards without the ball every single time someone’s trying to create a shot.
The Spurs Know Their Endgame, And It Doesn’t Look Good For Fox
The Spurs already know what works. Last season, the team took off when Julian Champagnie was inserted into the starting lineup, immediately upgrading their shooting. That lineup, with Champagnie playing alongside two guards, absolutely crushed opponents by 17.6 points per 100 possessions. The formula is clear: two guards, two shooters, and Wembanyama. That’s the endgame for this team, and it’s what they’re building towards.
We all know where this is heading. Harper was simply too good to keep coming off the bench, and Castle is too talented to ever move there. So, eventually, the best version of the Spurs will likely have Fox, who is the oldest and most expensive of the three guards, coming off the bench. He’ll follow the path Harper took a season ago. San Antonio is slow-playing this whole situation, which is understandable. Benching a reigning All-Star on a max contract, especially one who very intentionally steered himself to San Antonio, is a tough call. But despite the talent of the three guards and the inherent advantage of playing with the NBA’s top-ranked player, Victor Wembanyama, this starting lineup is simply suboptimal.
Get ready to watch how this plays out on opening night. The Spurs are starting with a lineup that history shows struggles, all while knowing their best path forward probably doesn’t include De’Aaron Fox in that starting five. It’s going to be fascinating to see how long they can stick to this “sensible” approach before the inevitable happens.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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