The Spurs test their most ambitious bet: bringing together De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle

The San Antonio Spurs want to take a step forward, and Mitch Johnson has decided to start exploring one of the most interesting possibilities for his roster: putting De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle on the court together. The coach gave the green light to the combination of his three guards in the 123-103 victory against the Phoenix Suns, in a preseason game that allowed him to assess both the possibilities of the experiment and the work that still lies ahead.

“It’s time to move forward properly,” Johnson explained, referring to the natural evolution of his team, although he also made it clear that the process will take time. The gamble is significant, as all three players are used to having the ball in their hands and will need to find a way to complement each other for the formula to work.

The start against Phoenix highlighted some of those difficulties. Harper and Castle missed their first five combined shots, while Fox, who was playing his first minutes of preseason, left the court with 6:57 remaining in the first quarter. However, the trio managed to improve their performance before halftime and contributed to San Antonio leading at the break 60-49.

Together, they combined for 31 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists in the first half. Fox, Harper, and Castle shared the court for 11 minutes during that stretch, posting a +10 rating. A first indication that their collaboration may yield positive results if they manage to overcome the initial coordination issues.

Stephon Castle leads and Dylan Harper excites the crowd

Castle was the game's leading scorer with 18 points, including 14 from the free-throw line. The guard demonstrated his ability to create advantages and attack the opposing defense, while Harper finished with nine points and made one of the night’s most spectacular plays.

With 34.5 seconds left in the half, Harper seized a missed shot by Devin Vassell to grab the offensive rebound and complete the play with a powerful dunk. The play thrilled the crowd at the Frost Bank Center and highlighted the impact the rookie can have when he finds space to attack the rim.

Fox also made his mark with a spectacular dunk over a defender and a three-pointer from the corner with just one second left in the half. The veteran guard played 18 minutes and 33 seconds, all during the first half, in his preseason debut.

Despite the good individual performances, Johnson did not hide his dissatisfaction with his team's start. “I think we started the game with some very disorganized possessions,” admitted the coach, who called for better preparation and greater concentration from the first minutes.

Wembanyama celebrates having more creators around him

The potential coexistence of the three guards may also be particularly beneficial for Victor Wembanyama. The French center believes that having several players capable of organizing the offense and creating advantages makes his job easier, especially in pick-and-roll situations.

San Antonio's idea is to broaden the team's offensive options and prevent creation from relying on a single player. With Fox, Harper, and Castle on the court together, the Spurs can alternate different playmakers and take advantage of the physical and technical abilities of their three perimeter players.

The main question is how they will distribute responsibilities. All three are accustomed to initiating possessions, but the coaching staff believes they possess the necessary qualities to adapt to different roles.

Johnson defended his decision by recalling that Fox has already shared the spotlight with other ball handlers and that Castle won the college championship with UConn in a context where he was not always responsible for starting plays. He also highlighted the ability of all three to dribble, pass, shoot, defend, and make beneficial decisions for the team.

Regarding Harper, the coach noted that his rookie status during the 2025-26 season initially limited his ability to take on large minute loads. Now, the coach trusts he can play a more significant role within the rotation.

An experiment with outstanding tasks

The statistics reflect how far this combination still has to develop. Fox, Harper, and Castle only shared 69 minutes together throughout last season, including 25 in the NBA Finals. During that time, opponents outscored San Antonio by a total of 47 points.

However, the data on the pairs provides reasons for optimism. The Spurs recorded a net efficiency rating of +9.4 when Fox and Castle played together during the regular season, +6.2 with Fox and Harper, and +11.0 with Harper and Castle.

The challenge will be to translate those individual results into a lineup with all three players at once. To do this, they will have to find a balance between their needs with the ball and their ability to contribute without it.

The idea of using all three as starters alongside Wembanyama and Vassell had already been announced before the first exhibition game against the Atlanta Hawks. However, Fox had to sit out that game after arriving at the Frost Bank Center with general discomfort, so the coaching staff decided to rest him.

Against Phoenix, the Spurs finally had the opportunity to test the formula for several minutes. Fox, Harper, and Castle had already discussed during the summer in France, when they visited Wembanyama, the possibility of sharing the starting lineup.

“We knew there was a chance we could all three be starters or at least share the court. We’re all excited,” Fox explained.

The victory against Phoenix marks a first step for a gamble that still needs time to develop. Johnson is clear that he is bringing together three of his best players in the same lineup and wants to see how far this combination can go. The preseason will serve to adjust roles and automations, with the aim that the individual talent of Fox, Harper, and Castle ultimately becomes a collective advantage for San Antonio.