The Spurs are not easing into the 2025-26 regular season. They are going straight at it with a lineup choice that is bold, intriguing and slightly provocative in the best possible way. Mitch Johnson has confirmed that De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper will start on opening night, which means San Antonio is committing to a three-guard look that will immediately test how much ball-handling can outweigh the usual concerns about size.
That is the headline, and it is a real one. Three-guard lineups are uncommon for a reason: they can leave a team exposed physically if the balance is wrong. But the Spurs are not stumbling into this decision. They have now seen the trio together, and after Wednesday's 123-103 preseason win over the Phoenix Suns, Johnson made the call public on Friday. This is not some speculative experiment being floated for the future. It is the opening-night plan.
And the context matters. In the 2025-26 regular season, Fox, Castle and Harper logged just 25 combined minutes together for the entire season. That is a tiny sample, which is exactly why this decision feels so interesting. San Antonio is taking a look at a combination it has barely used and asking it to function in real games from day one. That is either a confident read on the roster or a very early admission that the Spurs want maximum talent on the floor, even if the shape of the team looks unconventional.
Why this trio makes sense
There is at least a clear logic behind it. Castle is the tallest of the three at 6'6", which helps, but the bigger point is that all three can handle the ball and take pressure off one another. De'Aaron said there were times when the three of them played together more often in the playoffs than they did during the regular season, and he added that the group knew there was a chance they would all be starting or at least sharing the court together. He also said they were all excited for it.
Victor Wembanyama may be the piece that makes this work. After the preseason win, he said the team was trying to do the right things at the beginning but scored so few points, before adding, with some understatement, that when it clicked, it clicked. More importantly, he explained that the biggest thing is having handlers all around him, with guys San Antonio wants to put the ball in their hands and run pick-and-roll around him. That is the real bet here: surround Wembanyama with creators and trust the spacing and decision-making to sort itself out.
Still, this is where the risk lives. A three-guard lineup can look smart when the ball is moving and the shot quality is good. It can also look fragile the moment the game turns physical or the offense cools off. The Spurs are essentially betting that their best answer is to start with skill, not size, and let Wembanyama cover up some of the structural problems. That is a daring way to build an opening-night lineup, but it is also a sign of a team willing to challenge convention rather than hide behind it.
For now, the verdict is simple: Fox, Castle and Harper will start, and the Spurs have chosen the route that promises the most creativity and the most scrutiny. On opening night, that will be the test.
