SAN ANTONIO — Devin Vassell knows what opposing teams will have to deal with when they face the San Antonio Spurs' new starting lineup. Making the choice won't be easy.
"You don't know who to pick up," he said at practice on Thursday. "It's (De'Aaron) Fox, it's Dylan (Harper), it's Steph (Castle). We have five ball handlers that can come down and attack the basket and make a play. So I think it's going to be tough for other teams."
That was the idea when Mitch Johnson named Fox, Castle, Harper, Vassell and Victor Wembanyama to his starting five ahead of San Antonio's preseason opener. Getting them on the floor together, however, proved more difficult than anticipated.
Fox's late scratch against the Atlanta Hawks delayed the trio's debut, and a preseason filled with injuries and planned rest has limited their opportunities to develop chemistry.
Still, the Spurs have begun forming their first impressions of the experiment.
"It's not going to be perfect," Vassell explained. "We're just figuring it out. Offensively, defensively, it's going to take time, but ... I'm excited for it, and we're going to get better."
For Johnson, the decision to start three players who have spent much of their careers with the basketball in their hands was never particularly complicated. Each brings something different to the lineup; the coach believes their individual talents are worth the adjustments.
"I understand the narrative," Johnson said ahead of the Spurs' 123-103 preseason victory over the Suns. "I always land (at) the same reasoning: they're three of our better players."
Johnson never considered biting his words, but his new starters began their first game together this season a combined 1-for-10 from the field. Fox, Harper and Castle posted a minus-1 net rating, revealing the obvious learning curve that awaits them to begin the year.
"It's the first time that group's played together," Johnson said. "It's been a very stop-and-go preseason in terms of lineup, so we're just trying to get into a little bit of a rhythm."
After its slow start, however, San Antonio's production picked up significantly. Fox posterized Suns forward Rasheer Fleming, he and Harper cashed in on 60 percent of their attempts from 3 and Castle bullied his way to a team-high 15 free throw attempts. The trio combined for 36 points and shared the court for 11 minutes.
The shooting, especially, will likely unlock the trio's potential together.
"When we're making shots, it allows other guys to be able to get downhill," Fox said. "We can spread the defense out. Teams know what we want to do ... a lot of our season — a lot of how special that first group (can) be — it's going to be predicated on how we shoot the ball."
Shooting isn't the only concern. With Vassell occupying a frontcourt spot alongside Wembanyama, the Spurs could find themselves at a size disadvantage against bigger lineups, placing additional responsibility on their guards to rebound and apply defensive pressure.
"I think defensively ... we're just really sound," Castle said. "I think rebounding is probably just going to be our biggest issue for right now. But I think if we hone in on that, it's going to make our offense a lot easier, and I think we're just going to be flowing."
Vassell agrees, emphasizing that Wembanyama's presence in the paint doesn't excuse the rest of the starters from contributing to the rebounding battle. San Antonio's guards have the size to help, but they'll have to make a concerted effort to do so when playing together.
"When we have our anchor down there with Vic, we've got to make sure that we (don't) rely on him too, too much," Vassell said. "We still got to board. And with Dylan, with Steph, with me — I mean, we're all bigger guards — we've got to be able to get down there and crash."
Added Johnson: "It's going to be important for everybody to play their part in that lineup."
Johnson isn't expecting every question to be answered before the regular season begins. San Antonio's inconsistent preseason rotations have made establishing a rhythm difficult, leaving the group with plenty to learn about playing together.
The Spurs understand the challenges. They'll need to rebound, make shots and learn when to attack or defer to one another. But after reaching the NBA Finals last season, they aren't interested in limiting their potential simply because their lineup is unconventional.
As far as Wembanyama is concerned, there's little reason to question the talent. Asked how confident he is that the three-guard lineup will be effective in the regular season, he smiled.
"Just as confident as last year," Wembanyama said. "Nobody got worse."
Add us as a preferred source on Google