San Antonio will start De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper together alongside Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama against the Thunder.
The Spurs are going into opening night with three point guards on the floor at once. Head coach Mitch Johnson will start De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and rookie Dylan Harper together in the backcourt, rounding out the lineup with Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama for Tuesday's season opener against the Thunder.
It is not a brand new idea. San Antonio tested the same trio during the preseason, including a start against the Suns that produced mixed results, and the team ran it back with the identical starting five in the preseason finale against the Kings.
The logic is straightforward: three capable ball-handlers should create more options and less predictable spacing than a traditional two-guard setup. Whether it actually works is another question, since fitting three guards who are used to having the ball comes with its own kinks. Fox's role in particular is the thing to watch, given his track record as a lead guard now sharing minutes with two other players who want the ball in their hands too.
San Antonio will find out quickly whether the experiment holds up, with the Thunder waiting as the first real test of the regular season.