The San Antonio Spurs have an embarrassment of riches at the point guard position. Stephon Castle is already a fringe All-Star, De'Aaron Fox remains one of the better guards in the NBA, and Dylan Harper is one of the most enticing young players in the league.

On pretty much any other team in the league, Harper would be a surefire starter for opening night. The Spurs, however, have remained steadfast that they want to trot Fox out in the starting five. It makes a degree of sense. Fox is a steadier hand, despite his lackluster Finals performance. Having a proven veteran out there can (and has) worked wonders for San Antonio.

Of course, there will simply be nights where Harper is hotter than Fox. In those instances, Mitch Johnson should allow the younger guard to close games out. Manu Ginobili made a Hall of Fame career for himself coming off the bench, although he was on the floor when it mattered most. Harper could be asked to play a similar role.

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Since being drafted by the Spurs, Harper has said exactly what the organization wants to hear: some variation of "I'll play any role if it means the team wins."

There's plenty of reason to believe that Harper is genuine, but if he continues to feel restricted on the bench, there could be a real problem.

"Harper has been trying to say the right things, but he also wants to be a superstar — and rightly so," wrote The Athletic's Jared Weiss. "If he improves as much this season as he did last, he will be too good to spend crucial moments of games on the bench."

Despite not being a starter for most of his career, everyone knew that Ginobili was just as important as Tony Parker and Tim Duncan. Ginobili put his ego aside and made a legendary career for himself. 

As Harper gets ready to negotiate his first contract extension in 2028, though, he will get paid for what he's done, not for what he could do. If he feels like his role is smaller than it should be, then he could feel threatened by a lesser offer when he sits down with Brian Wright. 

Of course, if the Spurs continue winning, it shouldn't be a major concern. In the modern NBA, though, egos have to be factored in, even on a team that claims not to have any.