Mitch Johnson finally got his three-guard experiment on the floor. De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle shared the court together for the first time in a 123-103 preseason win over the Phoenix Suns.
The Spurs have been building toward this lineup all offseason. Fox arrived via trade. Harper went sixth overall in the draft. Castle was picked 23rd. On paper, it works. Three playmakers who can score and push pace. The question was always whether they could function together without eating up all the ball-handling duties and leaving the wings and bigs in isolation hell.
One preseason win tells you almost nothing about what this means long-term. Preseason opponents play loose defense. Rotations aren't set. Guys are finding their spots. But Johnson deployed it, which means he's serious about exploring it. The Spurs clearly believe this group can survive together. They're betting on complementary styles and enough defensive versatility to make it work in the regular season.
San Antonio will need to see this lineup against actual playoff-level intensity before anyone declares it a success. Still, getting all three on the floor and winning convincingly sends a message to your roster. This is worth testing.