Here we go again with the same old song the doubters have been singing all offseason long. The question of "will these guards work together" continues to be regurgitated, this time by "league insiders across the country," according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps. I wouldn't have as much of a problem with this if the guys were struggling, but that's not the case. Quite the opposite, actually.
There's a bit of disingenuous analysis taking place when you call out the poor shooting numbers from Stephon Castle while ignoring the good ones from De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper, and that's exactly what's happening here.
"One sign for concern, though: He's under 25% from 3 and 70% from the foul line, highlighting the biggest concern scouts have had about playing him, Harper and Fox: None is an above-average shooter," Bontemps wrote. Let's talk about that.
Critics refuse to give the Spurs guards credit
Is it really a huge concern that a second-year guard isn't a great three-point shooter if he's averaging 17 points on 50% from the field and racking up nearly eight assists per game in the process? Oh, that player also happens to be one of the best defensive guards in the league. That doesn't seem like much of a problem to me, but I'm just the guy watching him help a young team build one of the best records in the NBA.
Now, let's take a look at the other guys because it gets worse. How about we just give Fox and Harper credit for shooting the ball well? I find it a little egregious to say that Harper and Fox aren't adequate shooters, considering the proof right in front of our eyes.
Swipa is shooting 39% from three. When you dig a little deeper, it's very balanced, too. He's making 38% of his catch-and-shoot opportunities and 39% of his pull-ups. If you're concerned about the sample size, we can look at his last healthy season, which was the year before last, when he shot 37% from deep for the entire season. If you're claiming that he's not a good shooter, you're just wrong.
Dylan Harper isn't nearly as good with his three-point pull-up game. He's missed all four of those shots, but he's 5-10 when he's had the chance to catch-and-shoot. Obviously, he needs more time on the floor to really see, but his success with those shots isn't new. He shot 37% on the same kind of shots during his year at Rutgers.
Saying, "The big question surrounding San Antonio before the season centered around how the team's three high-profile guards...that's still a lingering question, as there hasn't been a single game yet where all three have been available," would be fair if we couldn't project, but we can. The data and your eyes should tell you that this group will be fine together.
They don't all have to share the floor, but Castle got better when Fox returned from injury. The second unit looks better when Harper is leading them. It's more obvious than ever that this team has been built beautifully. The pieces fit, and they'll all play an important role in the special season unfolding before us. Put your doubts to rest.