Dylan

Harper

Jeff McDonald also reported that coach Mitch Johnson intends to use this starting lineup on Tuesday against the Thunder. The Spurs will use their three guard lineup with Champagnie and Harris coming off the bench. We’ll see if the starting lineup sticks that way beyond this upcoming Tuesday, but you can feel good to draft Vassell to stream him in on opening night.

With Julian Champagnie getting the night off, Harper remained in the starting five despite De’Aaron Fox making his first appearance of the preseason. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Harper has a high fantasy ceiling heading into his second NBA season. The top-100 ADP is reasonable, as Harper will play plenty for the reigning Western Conference champions. With the Spurs playing their final preseason game on Friday, we should get a more definitive answer on Mitch Johnson’s starting lineup then.

De’Aaron Fox was unavailable for Thursday’s exhibition, so Harper started. The second-year guard played well in 19 minutes, shooting well and committing no turnovers. Even if he’s asked to come off the bench again this season, Harper can provide top-100 fantasy value. At a minimum, his playing time should increase, as he averaged 22.6 minutes per game as a rookie.

Harper was San Antonio’s best player in Game 5, and his lack of opportunities in the fourth quarter contributed to the Spurs’ inability to hold off the Knicks. A similar scenario occurred in Game 4, and Harper is the first rookie since Richard Dumas in 1993 to record consecutive 20-point games. After the defeat, teammate Devin Vassell said that there were times during the season when Harper was frustrated with his playing time. Given how well he played during San Antonio’s run to the Finals, minutes should not be a concern for Harper in 2026-27. Don’t be surprised if he breaks out next season.

Harper logged another impactful performance on San Antonio’s bench in Game 4. He led the team with a plus-12 rating and finished as one of two Spurs players with 20 or more points. The rookie recorded double-digit points in six consecutive playoff games at the conclusion of Wednesday’s game. He continues to log heavy minutes and will likely see another heavy workload on Saturday.

The rookie has been incredible throughout the postseason, though he wasn’t able to match his shooting efficiency in this game. It was a rough shooting night for Harper, but that didn’t prevent the Spurs from securing their first win of the series. He’s been important to the team’s success, which isn’t common for a 20-year-old in the NBA Finals. The volume will increase as he ages, which should lead to some incredible fantasy seasons. For now, he’ll look to make an impact in his role as the series continues on Thursday.

Castle appeared to injure his right leg during the second half of Game 2 on Friday. While he did exit the game shortly after the tweak, the second-year guard was back on the court in the fourth quarter as the Spurs rallied. Based on Castle’s comments on Sunday, he should be a full go for Game 3 as the Spurs look to cut the Knicks’ 2-0 lead in half. “It’s been feeling good,” Castle said. “It feels a lot better than I thought it would initially. Obviously, I had some adrenaline running, kind of once I settled down, I started to feel it. Waking up the next day, actually felt really good.” Castle was not listed on the injury report released by the Spurs on Sunday afternoon, so he’ll take on his usual starting role.

Harper’s 18 points in 22 minutes off the bench were absolutely crucial for the Spurs in Game 6. The 20-year-old guard scored more points than any individual player on the Thunder. Harper continues to impress with his play in the playoffs as he’s played beyond his years. Saturday’s Game 7 on the road will surely be his most difficult test yet.

Both players are at less than 100 percent, but expected to play, according to Johnson. This comes as no surprise. Both Fox and Harper played in Game 3, which was the first game of the series for Fox. Now with the Spurs trying to avoid falling behind 3-1 in the series, both players appear set to continue to play through injury.

Harper started the first two games of the series with De’Aaron Fox (ankle) sidelined, but left Game 2 after 25 minutes with a sore right adductor. With both point guards cleared for Friday’s Game 3, we could see the veteran Fox return to the starting lineup while Harper returns to the bench.