Dylan Harper must step up with Fox’s status in question

The San Antonio Spurs Media day provided a few unexpected updates on the injury front. It was previously thought that De’Aaron Fox would lead the Spurs backcourt on opening night, despite a hamstring injury this summer. San Antonio was also expected to be without its prized rookie, Dylan Harper, after an offseason thumb injury. It turns out the opposite of those two expectations is true. Harper told reporters he thinks he could play in the preseason, while Fox said he may not be cleared for opening night.

This week ESPN reported that Harper should be cleared for San Antonio’s first game against the Dallas Mavericks, while Fox may be sidelined. Losing either of the guards is a big blow to the Spurs, but not having both would deplete the teams guard depth entirely. Without Fox, Harper becomes the de-facto lead guard alongside former Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle.

Losing Fox for any stretch of the regular season is a big deal. He’s a former All-Star and is good for 20+ points and 5+ assists every night. However, the way the Spurs are handling this portrays confidence in Harper to fill those shoes while the veteran gets back to full health. Fox said he feels ready to play now, and the ESPN report indicated that the Spurs are being as careful as possible not to rush him back from injury too soon. They wouldn’t do that if they didn’t think Harper and Castle could step in.

Harper was already somewhat of a swing player for the Spurs this season, and could become even more so if Fox is going to miss an extended period of time to start the season. If the rookie’s combination of scoring chops off the bounce, floor vision and finishing around the rim translate to the next level, the Spurs will have another high-level ball-handler and scorer to compliment Victor Wembanyama. If Fox is out for any period of time, his ability to do those things could be the difference between the team starting above .500 or below it.

That said, it’s no guarantee that Harper begins the season in the starting lineup. With Fox out, the Spurs will need guard play off the bench. The next “point guard” option behind Fox, Castle and Harper is Jordan McLaughlin, who played just over 6 minutes a game last season. The likelihood is that either Castle or Harper takes on primary guard duties in the first unit, and Mitch Johnson staggers their minutes to give the Spurs enough ball handling throughout the game. Castle may get the starting nod given his “veteran” status, and his familiarity with Wembanyama.

Harper still has a crucial role to play, whether in the first five or off the bench. That role is much bigger with Fox out. Unfortunately for the rookie, he won’t have time to ease into his first bit of NBA action. The Spurs have playoff expectations this season, and in a crowded Western Conference, every game matters for seeding. Harper needs to play well early if the Spurs want to get off to a good start without their All-Star guard.