De'Aaron Fox
Fox is the Spurs' starting point guard in a three-guard unit, and his wrist sprain has not kept him out of any of the three games played so far (OKC, Houston, Dallas).
Role
He starts alongside Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama, a lineup coach Mitch Johnson said would start the season (Yahoo Sports, about 20 October). Through three games he played 32, 34 and 28 minutes (ESPN game log, checked 26 October) and averaged 17.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists. In the preseason he missed games with soreness, and Julian Champagnie started in his place. Champagnie is the fill-in starter when Fox sits, and the Spurs have not said he is a long-term competitor for the job. The wire report has Fox taking part in Friday's shootaround, and he then played that night. I found no report of a back-to-back rest plan, so I cannot say whether he sits any.
The Spurs are a Finals team and Fox is the veteran starter on the floor with Wembanyama. Harper and Castle handle the ball so Fox can attack in pick-and-roll. He has played 28 to 34 minutes in each game and had nine assists in each of the last two. The Spurs also beat Dallas 122-106 on the road in the third game. Last season's Spurs did well with Fox next to Castle or next to Harper, and Johnson called the three-guard lineup the team's natural evolution.
The three-guard group played only 69 minutes together last season, and opponents outscored the Spurs by 47 in that time (ESPN). It lost the opener to Oklahoma City, and Yahoo noted that many people blamed the starting lineup. Fox has already dealt with preseason soreness, a right wrist sprain, and a high ankle sprain during last season's Finals. With Harper and Castle taking on ball-handling, his usage and workload could shrink, and the Spurs may change the starters if the lineup keeps struggling.
Where analysts split
The split is whether the Fox, Harper and Castle starting trio works, or whether Johnson ends up moving a guard to the bench or bringing in a wing like Champagnie. The sample is only three games, so nobody can answer it yet.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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