Spurs' counter to the Knicks' Wemby blueprint starts with Fox, Castle and Harper

There's a lot for the San Antonio Spurs to figure out with their trio of Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper. It's not just about how well they fit with one another, but it's also important to consider how they make life easier for Victor Wembanyama. Their growth as shooters, specifically from the corner, will be the key to creating more scoring opportunities for The Alien.

Floor spacing seems to be the biggest concern with this three-guard setup. We know Castle, Fox, and Harper have a knack for generating their own shots, but how they play off each other determines their success. If they can't be reliable from distance as a collective, it'll be hard to keep driving lanes open and punish defenders who sag away from the perimeter.

It also makes it easier for opponents to contain Wembanyama by hindering his path to the paint. This trio needs to perfect their outside shooting to optimize each other's skill sets and take pressure off their best player.

The Knicks provided a blueprint on how to contain Wemby

During the NBA Finals, the New York Knicks did a good job slowing down Wembanyama. Their ability to tag him in the pick-and-roll was pivotal in limiting his interior scoring, which forced him to settle for outside shots.

When Wemby set ball screens, the Knicks kept a weakside perimeter defender ready to help off the deep corner and bump him on the roll, impeding his downhill path to the rim. There were several times when OG Anunoby was the tag man, using his large frame to stop the seven-footer in his tracks and blow up the possession.

Teams across the league will try to mimic this strategy, so the Spurs must be prepared. The best way to counter this is to have corner shooters who can punish those defenders who sink in to help. For the guard trio to work alongside Wemby, they must convert on those long-range attempts to discourage opponents from tagging as much.

The three-guard lineup is effective against this coverage in other ways

There are plenty of other reasons why the three-guard setup works so perfectly against this defensive strategy. For one, it gives the Spurs the advantage of having multiple players who can make smart decisions with the ball in their hands.

Whoever handles the ball in the pick-and-roll must be able to read the tag from the weak side and throw a difficult skip pass to the opposite corner for the shooter. Harper, Castle, and Fox should each be capable of making that pass this season.

Now, when throwing the ball from one side of the court to the other, it naturally gives the help defender more time to close out. That's fine, because each of these guards can use their speed and quickness to attack that closeout and drive to the paint for an even easier shot.

They have the perfect on-ball skills to counter this sort of strategy, but it all starts with how well they grow as shooters. They can't get to the rim if opponents are comfortable letting them shoot.

That means the same for Wemby. It'll be easier to bring in those tags and keep him from rolling to the basket if there's no reason to stop those corner three-point attempts.

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