Fox, Castle, and Harper are turning the Spurs' 'logjam' into a playoff weapon

The Spurs' trio of De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper showed some flashes of greatness in their first full season together. Their collective ability to get to the rim made them dangerous in the playoffs, as they each landed in the top ten in fouls drawn on drives. This is something else the critics can keep in mind when speaking on their fit together.

The perception around this unique guard setup seems pretty mixed up to this point. Some see the upside and potential, while others view it as nothing more than a burden for San Antonio. The word "logjam" has been thrown around a lot this summer when referring to them.

Sure, there are real areas for improvement with this group, but their knack for getting to the basket and drawing contact is special. It's one of the reasons people should be excited about their future together and what they can accomplish on the biggest stages.

Harper and Castle's knack for drawing fouls is impressive

De'Aaron Fox's ability to draw contact comes from his experience. As a near-ten-year veteran, he knows how to balance his elite speed with just enough craftiness to force defenders to commit silly fouls.

But it's even more impressive that Harper and Castle excel in this area at such early stages in their careers. They're great at breaking down opponents and manipulating them on the interior to get to the free-throw line. Stephon's ability to use snake dribbles to throw defenders off balance was a sneaky yet useful trick that helped him draw contact throughout the postseason.

Harper's elite footwork is what sets him apart. He can stop on a dime, pump-fake, or pivot to get his defenders in the air and force them to foul him. This level of patience is not what you'd expect to see from a 20-year-old point guard.

The Spurs' three guards can turn foul drawing into a playoff advantage

That ability to draw contact is extremely important for playoff basketball. The game tends to slow down at that stage, and transition scoring isn't as much of a factor as in the regular season. So players must get creative with how they generate offense.

Harper, Fox, and Castle's knack for baiting defenders to foul them will save the Spurs from scoring droughts. If Wemby can't get going or they're struggling to hit three-point shots, these guards can focus on attacking downhill to finish at the rim or get to the charity stripe.

Now, they do need to work on increasing their percentage at the line. Last season, each of them shot in the 70s, which isn't horrible, but it can be better given how often opponents foul them. As we all saw in the Finals, connecting on free-throw attempts can be the difference between winning and losing big games.

So, while they aren't perfect, their collective expertise in manipulating defenders is a luxury that makes them fit for deep playoff runs, just like the one they had this past spring.

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