De'Aaron Fox vs. Dylan Harper battle may actually help Spurs win without Wemby

The San Antonio Spurs may only have room for one of De'Aaron Fox or Dylan Harper in the starting lineup. If that comes to pass, then one of the two most talented point guards in the NBA will be a reserve in 2026-27. On most fronts, that's a less than ideal outcome.

The primary reason to believe it's not such a bad possibility, however, is that the Spurs may just be able to fix their biggest flaw: Winning the minutes that Victor Wembanyama doesn't play.

Some of the narrative surrounding how San Antonio plays without Wembanyama has been blown out of proportion. For instance, they went 12-6 during the 18 games that he missed in 2025-26 and outscored opponents by 0.6 points per 100 possessions when he was off the court.

Barely sitting above even simply isn't sufficient, and the postseason exposed how detrimental Wembanyama taking time to rest in-game can be. For instance: San Antonio was outscored by 2.0 points per 100 possessions when he wasn't on the floor.

That's likely one of the reasons San Antonio signed veteran forward and postseason mainstay Tobias Harris. Unless he defies expectations and starts, Harris will partner with reigning Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson to form arguably the best backup forward tandem in the NBA.

The question of who the primary ball-handler for the second unit will be persists, however, and both Fox and Harper are perfectly overqualified to lead the group and change San Antonio's trajectory.

Spurs need to play better when Wemby isn't on the court

Fox is a two-time All-Star who led San Antonio to a 10-2 record when Wembanyama missed 12 games between November and December of the 2025-26 season. Harper is a truly special talent who has showcased the ability to take over games as a downhill scorer and fearless shooter.

Harper's jump shot is still a question mark as a second-year player who shot 34.3 percent from beyond the arc as a rookie, however, and benching Fox is a tough sell despite the position battle. Even still, both are perfect for this job.

If Harper is the sixth man, then his minutes should increased and another year in the NBA should permit further growth into the star he's seemingly slated to become. If Fox is given the job, then his career averages if 21.1 points and 6.1 assists per game will become the hub through which the second unit runs.

In either scenario, San Antonio's bench should play better than it did a season ago and Wembanyama should be able to rest without fear of the team struggling without him.

Clearly, any team will be a lesser version of itself when its best player is taken off of the court. Minimizing the damage is simply a necessary step toward optimal balance, and the Spurs will need one of Fox or Harper to take the reins as they become the focal point of the second unit's efforts to do so.

San Antonio won't find it easy to choose between Fox and Harper considering both are too good to not start, but the silver lining is that Wembanyama-less minutes may finally be winnable.

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