Traditional wisdom points to the San Antonio Spurs eventually trading away De’Aaron Fox. After all, does an NBA team really need three star-caliber point guards, especially ones who can’t shoot?
In the regular season, Mitch Johnson found a solid balance of his three-headed monster in the backcourt: stagger them. The trio only shared the floor for 20 total minutes in the entire regular season, much too small to draw any meaningful conclusions.
To fans, the strengths and weaknesses of each player are clear. Castle is the best defender, but the worst ball-handler. Harper is the best at getting downhill and is a capable defender, but he hasn’t earned trust yet. And Fox is limited in range, but is still a crafty veteran and a plus on defense.
No matter how Johnson and the Spurs approached it, they could have two excellent guards on the floor at any given moment.
As Harper continues to blossom and the Spurs continue to shut down Fox trade talks, it’s easy to see that 20-minute number growing massively next year. Interestingly, there’s reason to suggest it would be a success.
Spurs Should Start Castle, Harper, and Fox At the Same Time
As long as Fox is on the roster, a vocal group of fans will call for him to come off the bench behind Harper. Fox’s $229 million contract suggests that the Spurs see him as a starter.
The starting five in San Antonio next season will usually be Victor Wembanyama, Tobias Harris, Devin Vassell, Castle, and Fox. However, both Julian Champagnie and Harper should see the occasional start.
The biggest thing holding the trio back is their shooting. None of them are elite from long range. In fact, none of them are even league-average. Castle and Harper are so young, though, that nothing is set in stone. Both of them showed rapid growth this season.
| Player | Regular Season | Final 30 Games | Playoffs |
| Fox | 33.2% | 30.0% | 29.4% |
| Castle | 33.2% | 40.8% | 35.0% |
| Harper | 34.3% | 46.8% | 33.3% |
To end his first NBA season, Harper was one of the best shooters in the NBA, and Castle wasn’t far behind. In the postseason, Harper remained serviceable, and Castle remained average.
If they can continue that production next season, with Wembanyama and either Harris, Champagnie, or Vassell on the floor, then Fox would be the only subpar shooter out there.
Now, all three players have expressed that they are point guards. Castle made that clear before the Spurs ever drafted him. Would he be willing to play as a wing? If it meant securing his starting spot and winning games, then probably.
“Harper and Wembanyama will be showtime,” wrote SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell. “Stephon Castle could benefit from transitioning from guard to wing. San Antonio will be very, very good around Wembanyama for the foreseeable future.”
Imagine, for a second, the slashing of Fox and Harper, the shooting of Harper and Castle, and the defense of Castle and Fox all on the floor at the same time. That alone is enough to make the playoffs, and that’s not even considering that the Spurs boast the best player in the world.
Don’t expect the trio to start all 82 games together, but they should be on the floor a lot more than just 20 total minutes.
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