# Spurs Start Harper, Bench Fox for Opening Night

> Spurs start Dylan Harper over De'Aaron Fox for opening night, risking benching veteran in early season.
- Title: Spurs Start Harper, Bench Fox for Opening Night · CBS Sports
- Summary: Spurs start Dylan Harper over De'Aaron Fox for opening night, risking benching veteran in early season. San Antonio Spurs start Dylan Harper on opening…
- Keywords: spurs, dylan harper, deaaron fox, nba, san antonio, nba draft, nba finals, victor wembanyama, sports, Start, Harper, Bench
- Source: CBS Sports — https://cbssports.com/nba/news/spurs-start-dylan-harper-opening-night-deaaron-fox
- Published: 2026-10-17T21:05:35+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: spurs, dylan harper, deaaron fox, nba, san antonio, nba draft, nba finals, victor wembanyama, sports
## Spurs Start Harper
San Antonio Spurs start Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, on opening night.
## Fox's Injury Impact
De'Aaron Fox's injured ankle and Finals struggles loomed large over San Antonio's NBA Finals loss to New York Knicks.
## Three-Guard Lineup Concern
Harper, Fox, and Castle are strong drivers with questionable 3-point shots, risking poor shooting when all three play together.
## Wembanyama's Role
Victor Wembanyama, the game-breaking center, spaces the floor and helps the Spurs' shooting.
## Spurs' Historical Performance
San Antonio outscored opponents by 17.6 points per 100 possessions when Champagnie played with two guards.
## Benching Fox Strategy
Spurs plan to bench De'Aaron Fox after opening night, risking alienating a key player with a max contract.
## Long-Term Plan
Spurs will test the three-guard lineup before deciding whether to bench Fox permanently.
## Key takeaway

San Antonio Spurs start Dylan Harper on opening night, leaving De'Aaron Fox to potentially bench after a Finals injury.