spurs/news/deaaron-fox-starting-dylan-harper-nba-finals/000392ded438eaa28bad68a2?utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=appeared_on">Why is De’Aaron Fox starting over Dylan Harper? Former All-Star remains in Mitch Johnson’s lineup vs. Knicks originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Much has been made of Victor Wembanyama’s historic abilities in the 2026 NBA Playoffs— and rightfully so — but the Spurs also wouldn’t be a few wins away from a championship without their elite guard play.
Between De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, San Antonio has benefitted from a trio of dynamic playmakers on both ends of the floor. And two of those star guards are still under the age of 22 — both Castle and Harper should be household names for years to come.
However, despite Harper’s terrific poise on the playoff stage as a rookie, he’s remained on Mitch Johnson’s bench. Fox continues to hold onto his starting point guard role despite some up-and-down play.
Here’s why the Spurs have continued to roll with Fox in the starting lineup over Harper despite the rookie becoming a key contributor.
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Why is De’Aaron Fox starting over Dylan Harper?
In Friday’s Game 2, Fox officially got the nod over Harper in the starting lineup once again, with Johnson maintaining the starting backcourt he’s used all postseason.
Starting 🖐#PorVida | @Ticketmasterpic.twitter.com/cU8j0X7d94
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) June 5, 2026
However, the fact that there is now a real argument to be made that Harper should start is a testament to the rookie’s performances over the last few weeks.
Here’s a breakdown of Johnson continues to roll with Fox in the starting five.
Experience/pedigree
The most straightforward answer as to why an underperforming Fox would continue starting over a red-hot Harper: as a two-time All-Star, Fox is far too proven as an elite talent to be coming off the bench at this point in his career. San Antonio acquired him in early 2025 to be a starting point guard, and that didn’t change just because of some lottery luck to acquire Harper, who has developed at a rapid pace.
At each player’s best potential, Fox is undoubtedly still the player who can impact NBA basketball at the highest level. In his time with the Kings, he became not just one of the fastest players in the league, but also a strong two-way guard who could run an offense, get to the rim with ease and swipe the basketball from opponents and get in transition. Especially as Fox became more of a three-level scorer, he became more difficult to take off the floor.
Spurs need D-Fox to have a big game.
He is the only player they have who can match the experience and vet talent of the Knicks lineup. When he’s cooking the Spurs offense becomes lethal. pic.twitter.com/1I1I3axpti
— Ball Don’t Stop (@balldontstop) June 5, 2026
In San Antonio, with Wembanyama around as the go-to option and a deeper guard rotation, Fox has sacrificed some individual numbers for the betterment of the team. He saw around a five-point drop-off in regular season points per game (23.5 to 18.6) in 2025-26, but with improved efficiency and strong passing and defense.
De’Aaron Fox:
“Obviously I’m not shooting the ball as much. But coming here, I knew that was the way that it was going to be. As a player, you sacrifice for the betterment of the team. There are times where I need to take shots or times where I don’t take as many shots, but at… pic.twitter.com/zEGDBH97Jn
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) June 4, 2026
While Harper has been the better scorer lately (16 points in Finals Game 1), Fox has a far deeper history of elite play. It would take a massive surprise for Johnson to demote his All-Star guard when he’s gotten them this far — and his recent words on Fox indicated as much.
“We’re at our best when he’s confident, in attack mode, and has the basketball in his hands … I think the thing that’s probably changed, obviously, is the teammates around him have continued to grow and improve,” Johnson said of Fox, per Underdog Sports. “He has probably balanced [that] better than anyone on our team … For an All-Star at 28 years old to be able to do that is really difficult to do and I don’t believe he gets enough credit for that.”
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Fox’s passing, defensive skills
In the 2026 playoffs, Fox has stepped up a few times. He had a 28-point, seven-assist outing vs. Portland in the first round and a 24-point game against Minnesota in Round 2 — but as he’s faced more ferocious defenses in the Thunder and Knicks, the guard’s shooting numbers have fallen off a bit.
Even when he’s shooting the ball poorly though, at minimum, Fox arguably can run the Spurs’ offense better than any other player. He averaged 6.2 assists per game in the Thunder series despite shooting 36.5% from the floor, and in Game 1 against the Knicks, he had five assists and a steal despite just seven points.
Fox’s all-around skill set, compared to Harper’s as a rookie, is more complementary to San Antonio’s two-way style, headlined by Wembanyama. The 6-foot-5 Harper is no slouch as a passer or defender — but Fox has been doing it at a high level for longer.
Harper’s impact on second unit
It would likely be unwise for Johnson to abandon the philosophies and rotations that got the Spurs to the NBA Finals in the first place. Moving Harper into the starting five would qualify there — a massive reason for San Antonio’s bench unit being successful lately is how Harper has stepped up to the playoff stage.
In Game 3 against the Blazers in the first round, Harper brought 27 points, including four 3-pointers, off the bench. In Game 4 against the Timberwolves in the second round, he went for 24 points and seven rebounds. Against the Thunder in Game 1 of the conference Finals, Harper totaled 24 points and 11 rebounds, and against the Knicks in Game 1, he had 16 points on the Finals stage.
He’s clearly a player that can step up to the big moments, and Harper deserves as much playing time as he can get — but the spark he’s brought off the bench is also immensely valuable to the Spurs.
Dylan Harper is the youngest player to score 10+ points in an NBA Finals game.
He did it in SIX MINUTES in the first quarter 🤯 pic.twitter.com/8ULodeW8xT
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) June 4, 2026
At any point in the first few minutes of a game, if his team’s offense is lacking, Harper can step in to provide a burst. He’s already a starting-level scorer who happens to be on a team with more experienced guards.
Of course, it’s also possible for Fox, Castle and Harper to be on the floor at the same time, a lineup Johnson has yet to tinker with much — but Harper brought the idea to the table after Game 1.
“I feel like us putting three guards (along with De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle) out there is pretty unstoppable.”
-talked w/Dylan Harper about seeing the court more w/Fox, Castle & how he could see more of it for the #Spurs in the #NBAFinals
More in the report below this snippet https://t.co/zFFzQN1kgQpic.twitter.com/mAEAYhg6lM
— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) June 5, 2026
If Harper wound up in another situation in the 2025 NBA Draft, chances are, he would have played his rookie year as a full-time starter. But most rookies don’t get the chance to shine in the NBA Finals. Partially because Harper has played his bench role so well, San Antonio has been elite — and that’s not something to tamper with until next season.
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De’Aaron Fox vs. Dylan Harper playoff stats
Here’s a look at Fox and Harper’s numbers in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
De’Aaron FoxStatDylan Harper15.9PPG13.24.0RPG5.55.9APG2.51.2SPG1.10.3BPG0.21.9TO1.642.4%FG%52.9%29.5%3PT%35.4%72.2%FT%85.2%
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