The San Antonio Spurs have three excellent point guards, and two of them are under 22 years old.
The San Antonio Spurs are winning games now, but they are expected to be even better in the future. As De'Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes inevitably start to wane, Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle will be in or entering their primes.
However, the two young guards aren't too concerned about the long-term outlook. Instead, they want to focus on the now.
The contest between the Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans saw Harper, Castle, and Fox all share the floor for the first time, as all three have been affected by injuries at varying points this season.
The Spurs barely won by three, but there is a promising foundation to build on. Harper posted 22 points off the bench, and Castle has supreme faith in his development. Meanwhile, in his return from injury, Castle rejoined the starting lineup and offered 18 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
"Just fearless," said Castle of his rookie teammate. "Touching the paint whenever, finding his shot at will, and then going on the other end and causing havoc. So I thought he was great, and I think he's going to be great the rest of the year."
While Harper is coming off the bench this season, he's aware that the starting job will eventually be his for the taking, and he thinks he fits in very well with Castle, even if they both have some outside shooting concerns.
"You have another dynamic guard that could get to the rim, great playmaker, and just someone who's great with the ball in their hands," said Harper of Castle. "And I think that this was just a little sample size and just a little bit of what you're going to see. And I think when he really gets back in the groove of things, we're gonna be scary."
Castle, as well, couldn't be more excited for minuites with Harper.
"It shouldn't be too hard," predicted Castle of sharing the floor with Fox and Harper. "We have great IQ, the three. So just being able to find space on the floor where we can all operate should be pretty simple."
Of course, for now, Fox remains the primary ball handler and scorer on the roster, at least until Wembanyama returns. In the meantime, all three guards are expected to thrive with their respective roles, finding success in the "now" while working towards the"then." Once Wembanyama returns, the Spurs are expected to take yet another step.