The San Antonio Spurs dropped their first preseason game of the year on Thursday night, losing to the Atlanta Hawks 123-116. 

The team knew well in advance that Tobias Harris would not start for the Silver and Black, and Mitch Johnson seemed excited about the prospect of starting all three point guards: De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle.

Fox, though, was a game-time scratch and did not suit up. Instead, Julian Champagnie got the starting nod. He scored ten efficient points in the game. It was Harper, though, who shined. He recorded 16 easy points in just 19 minutes, calling it an early end to the preseason opener. With the wind in his sails, it'll be hard for the Spurs to put him back on the bench. At least, Victor Wembanyama seems to think so.

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Wembanyama finished with only nine points, six rebounds, and a single block, although preseason is never really about the stars. He sat for much of the game, as the Spurs are sensibly saving him for the contests that matter.

Last season, Wembanyama was fed mostly by a Castle and Fox backcourt, although he's preparing for more minutes with Harper.

"That worked out," said Wemby of the last-minute starting lineup. "It's not like we hadn't done it before. In practice, of course, we worked on it. Yeah, that worked out."

Wembanyama isn't the only one who believes in the youngster.

"The young man has quite a bit of talent, and he has a high-level work ethic, so I think he'll just be more about finding his spots and what are his shots and his opportunities are in our offense and with the team, and continue to have that pattern recognition where the game will just slow down for him, and he'll know how to get those," predicted Mitch Johnson.

Harper knows that if he wants to start long-term, he'll have to either beat out Fox or show he can coexist in the lineup with him. Alongside Castle, though, he thinks he can take his game to the next level.

"Me and him feel like we're one of the most dynamic guards in the league," Harper said of Castle, his running mate. "It's a game downhill, and I feel like everything opens up even for Vic. Having the knowledge and knowing when to cut, when not to cut, when to drive middle, when to drive slot. I feel like today we did well, but there's a lot better we can do."