Dylan Harper finally addresses silly Spurs fit question fans won’t stop asking

The most common question in Spurs Nation lately has been if Dylan Harper can fit next to De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, and the projected number two overall pick has weighed in on the conversation.

He's exactly right. Positionless basketball has taken over the NBA over the last half decade or so, and trying to put players in a box only limits the potential of your team. So many guys are interchangeable because their skills overlap. That used to be seen as a bad thing, but now it's never been more beneficial.

The Boston Celtics are a perfect example. Jayson Tatum can initiate their offense just as effectively as Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, or San Antonio's ex-bestie, Derrick White. OKC has built a similar team with switchable players who can all hurt you from outside, but they'll also drive to the basket and score.

What's actually missing from this misguided conversation about whether Harper could fit is why he's a perfect fit and why the Spurs are uniquely suited to play positionless basketball better than anyone else in the NBA.

Victor Wembanyama is the lynchpin that makes the Spurs' engine go

Let's not forget that everything has already been inverted in San Antonio's offense. Wembanyama is 11 feet tall, bringing the ball up the floor and pulling threes from outer space. Did we forget that already? He'll need several guys on the floor who can shoot, dribble, and pass to maximize his abilities, and the smarter they are, the better.

Harper has a great feel on the basketball court and reads the floor as well as anybody in the draft. The Spurs' offense will still involve a lot of ball movement. Drive-and-kick has always been a staple, and it will continue to be, but when the guys on the court are also real threats to finish or make the clever pass instead of the obvious, it takes the team to another level. Harper helps this team get there.

It's not a hindrance to have Castle and Harper on the floor with similar skill sets, it's a benefit. Especially considering the size they have. Analysts have noted that Rutgers' offense suffered from not having enough guys versatile enough to properly threaten defenses. He overachieved on that team.

If you're concern is really about Fox, then you didn't pay attention to his role in Sacramento, nor did you watch him closely enough in the 18 games he played in a silver and black uniform after the trade.

Domantas Sabonis ran post-ups often with Fox playing off-ball, and Mike Brown is not one to run only one style of offense. There was motion and ball movement in their offense, enabling the speedy guard to play off the ball often. When he got to San Antonio, he allowed Stephon Castle to run the show often when they shared the floor, and there were no issues.

They'll all be playing off of Wembanyama, though. He's a different animal. The main thing they need now is to figure out who will be the long-term solution power forward, but for now, Harrison Barnes and his hot shooting will do. The other guys will improve their shots, too. Nobody on this young team is a finished product besides Barnes, who actually just had a career year, so maybe that goes for him, too.

Don't assume that just because you haven't seen enough of something that it can't work. I promise you, Fox, Castle, Harper will end up being a much better trio than Fox, Castle, Vassell.