Spurs to Start Three-Guard Lineup of Fox, Castle, and Harper in Season Opener

San Antonio will start guards De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper alongside Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell against the Thunder on Tuesday.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson announced Friday that San Antonio will start a three-guard lineup of De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper in Tuesday’s season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This unit, which includes Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama, recently posted a plus-10 rating in 11 minutes during a preseason victory over the Phoenix Suns. In that contest, the trio of Fox, Castle, and Harper combined for 9-of-21 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point range.

During the preseason win against Phoenix, the Spurs won the rebounding battle 13-11 while the three guards were on the floor. Wembanyama recorded 24 touches and brought the ball up for five possessions during that stretch, though he and Vassell missed all six of their combined three-point attempts. In a subsequent preseason game against the Sacramento Kings, the three guards scored 19 points in the first quarter to help San Antonio establish a 42-18 lead.

Historical data from last season shows the Fox, Castle, and Harper trio played 69 total minutes together, including 25 minutes in the NBA Finals, during which opponents outscored the Spurs by 47 points. However, two-man combinations involving these players yielded positive net ratings in the previous regular season: Harper and Castle at plus-11.0, Fox and Castle at plus-9.4, and Fox and Harper at plus-6.2. Johnson indicated the decision to start the group stems from a desire to have the team's five best players on the floor to begin games.