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NBA's five biggest starting lineup questions: Three guards for Spurs? Morant-Lillard backcourt in Portland?

The San Antonio Spurs announced plans to start three guards—Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, and De'Aaron Fox—in their preseason debut, a lineup configuration that immediately drew attention as an aggressive departure from their traditional approach. The trio was set to debut together before Fox’s late scratch due to hip and leg tightness, forcing the team to adjust its plans.

Fox’s absence extended beyond the preseason debut, sidelining him for multiple games as the Spurs navigated their early-season lineup experiments without him.

The Spurs finally tested the all-guard starting lineup in a preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, where Harper, Castle, and Fox took the court together for 25 possessions. The result was a rare bright spot for a franchise that finished last season with a 27-55 record, posting a plus-10 rating in that segment—a stark contrast to their struggles a season ago.

The performance suggests the Spurs may lean into this high-tempo backcourt approach early in the campaign, though Fox’s injury remains a critical variable in their plans.

The Spurs’ preseason performance with all three guards starting stands as an outlier, offering a glimpse into how they might structure their rotation if Fox’s injury clears in time. The plus-10 rating in limited possessions suggests potential, but the team’s broader struggles last season—including a bottom-five finish in both offensive and defensive rankings—highlight the challenges ahead.

For now, the focus remains on Fox’s recovery and whether the Spurs can sustain the momentum from their preseason experiment as the regular season begins.

This report also draws on coverage from Yahoo Sports, San Antonio Express-News, ABC7 New York, Blazer's Edge.

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