Tobias

Harris

Harper scored 18 of his 25 points after halftime, shooting 6-of-10 from the field and 5-of-6 from the foul line. He finished with a season-high point total, and fantasy managers will also be pleased with his rebounds and assists. Tobias Harris (calf) isn’t expected to make his Spurs debut anytime soon, so any talk of starting lineup changes is irrelevant.

Harris, whom the Spurs signed to a two-year deal in July, has not yet played because of a strained calf suffered during training camp. Based on Johnson’s pregame comments on Saturday, the veteran forward may not take the court for some time. “We need to just be patient and make sure we get it all the way right and get him all the way right in terms of being ready to prepare to play an NBA game at the (fast-paced) style of play we want,” Johnson said. Until then, the Spurs may not make any changes to their starting lineup as long as the current starters are healthy.

Harris remains out for another game as he recovers from the calf strain he suffered during the preseason. The lingering question is whether he’ll affect the starting lineup once he’s cleared to play, with Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell as potential options to head to the bench.

Harris still hasn’t made his debut for the Spurs, which means the starting lineup should remain the same. It’s unclear how or if Harris’ eventual debut will impact San Antonio’s starting lineup, but it could push either Dylan Harper or Devin Vassell to the bench.

Harris will miss another game with this calf injury, making this three straight to open the season. Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell will both continue to start, delaying head coach Mitch Johnson from having to make a tough decision on his lineup for at least one more game.

Harris, whose calf strain sidelined him for the entire preseason, will miss a second consecutive regular-season game. His absence means Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell will continue to start, and that may remain true even after Harris returns to action.

Harris did not play at all during the preseason, and his strained left calf will delay his official Spurs debut for at least one game. Julian Champagnie, who was moved to the bench for Dylan Harper, and Harrison Barnes likely benefit the most from Harris’ absence in terms of playing time.

Harris, a 15-year NBA veteran, did a lot of good things for the Pistons in his latest two-year stint with the team. He was a starter on the court and a positive influence off the court for a young team with NBA Finals aspirations. Sound familiar? Harris, who turns 34 later this month, is slated for a similar role with the Spurs. Fantasy expectations should still remain low for Harris.

Having performed admirably throughout the postseason, Harris appeared to run out of gas in the second round. After scoring 20 points or more in each of the first three games, the veteran forward totaled 40 points in Games 4 through 7. On Sunday, Harris failed to make a shot from the field, prompting some to flash back to his final game as a 76er, when he went scoreless in Game 6 loss to the Knicks in the first round of the 2024 playoffs. In recent years, Harris has exceeded expectations in fantasy basketball. Whether he does the same in 2026-27 depends on where he’ll be, as Harris will be an unrestricted free agent.

Harris had scored at least 20 points in eight consecutive playoff games and the Pistons were 5-3 in those games. His streak came to an end with 16 points in Monday’s loss in Game 4 and points were even tougher to come by for Harris in Game 5. The 33-year-old power forward had just 13 points on 19 attempts from the field. Harris’ off-game came at the wrong time for the Pistons as Duncan Robinson (back) was out, which only heightened the need for more scoring.