The biggest storyline surrounding the San Antonio Spurs heading into the season remains the starting lineup. Specifically, which point guard will start alongside Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle?
Dylan Harper outplayed De’Aaron Fox when it mattered in the NBA Finals, although a five-game sample size isn’t significant. Plus, it’s worth noting that Fox was playing through an injury down the stretch of the postseason.
Despite Harper saying “I ain’t coming off no bench” in a GQ interview, all signs point to him doing just that. Mitch Johnson has made it clear that he wants to see the youngster step into a bigger role and share the floor with both Fox and Castle, but to kick off each game, he’ll probably be on the sidelines.
Castle and Harper, as evident by the interview, are quickly becoming close friends. Castle has voiced a ton of support for Harper ever since he was drafted, but even he knows to be realistic about the lineup.
Subscribe to FullCourtPress for free email updates on the San Antonio Spurs👇
Stephon Castle Voices Support for De’Aaron Fox
Last year, the Spurs had a +9.2 net rating when Castle and Fox shared the floor. When Harper was paired with Castle, the Spurs were at +9.9, although the sample size was much smaller. Fox should be on a short leash after the Finals, although the starting job is still his.
The injury he played through is not an excuse for his poor play, but the Spurs aren’t going to let it dampen his role this season, and Castle knows that.
“I think it just speaks highly of his character, and you know who he is, obviously, he’s a leader for us,” said Castle of the veteran. “Without him, we wouldn’t have been in this position. So I mean I feel like we were all super grateful to know that he would do that for his team.”
Castle added that he thinks Fox will have a great season. Remember, Fox missed the start of last year with a hamstring injury, but if he can come out of the gate swinging this month, expect the Spurs to put even more trust in him.
“I think that trying to have that identity from the first game to whatever our last game is definitely a key component to being able to get back to where we were last year,” Fox explained.
While Harper has made it clear that he wants to start, it’s up to him to take the job. San Antonio isn’t just going to give it to him. Right now, everyone has Fox’s back, even Castle, who is Harper’s top backer.
Leave a Reply