The San Antonio Spurs are choosing within the prime 4 of the NBA Draft for the third 12 months in a row. Luck was on their facet as soon as once more as they jumped from eighth to second in a draft closely thought-about to be headlined by 4 top-tier prospects. After grabbing Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Fortress in earlier seasons, the Spurs can draft one other key piece of their rising younger core.
Dylan Harper has been thought-about the second-best prospect within the draft behind Cooper Flagg all 12 months lengthy. Whereas Flagg grabbed headlines, Harper additionally had a stellar freshman season at Rutgers. Regardless of his workforce’s struggles, Harper averaged 19.4 factors and 4 assists on 48.4% taking pictures, incomes him an All-Huge Ten honorable point out and a spot on the Huge Ten all-freshman workforce. It’s exhausting to pin Rutgers’ disappointing 15-17 season on Harper or his top-5 draft prospect teammate, Ace Bailey. The workforce’s general expertise stage didn’t rise to the extent of a stacked convention.
Regardless of a less-than-ideal context, Harper had an excellent productive season. The large combo guard is the son of former NBA participant Ron Harper and has been in comparison with NBA superstars like James Harden and Cade Cunningham. He brings a mixture of ending, ball-handling, scoring, and playmaking within the pick-and-roll with the dimensions to play a number of positions. Whereas there could also be considerations about his positional overlap with the Spurs roster, his mixture of abilities and potential will make him powerful to go on when San Antonio’s on the clock on draft night time.
Dylan Harper, freshman combo-guard, Rutgers
Measurements: 6’4.5 (no footwear), 213 lbs, 6’10.5 wingspan
2024-2025 stats: 19.4 factors, 4.6 rebounds, 4 assists, 48.4% FG, 33.3% 3PT, 75% FT, 54.6% EFG
Participant comparability: Huge Jalen Brunson
Strengths
Harper is a uncommon prospect who may very well be an offensive engine within the NBA. He’s an elite finisher on the basket, exhibits prowess within the pick-and-roll, has a great deal with, exhibits a excessive basketball IQ, and performs the sport at his personal tempo with some stellar footwork. He exploded for main scoring performances like a 36-point sport towards Notre Dame and 37 factors towards Alabama.
Projecting his potential to run an NBA offense is most clear when watching him function the pick-and-roll. Harper is able to beating defenses in quite a few methods within the motion. When he was doubled at Rutgers (which occurred loads) he was glorious at shortly splitting the double workforce to get to the basket, or passing the ball out of it to discover a teammate for a bucket, or to keep away from a turnover and maintain the ball shifting. He’s a drop protection killer, attacking huge males in area along with his potential to alter tempo or use fakes and pivots across the paint to get pictures over and round rim protectors. His help numbers gained’t soar off the web page, however Harper made some high-level reads within the pick-and-roll as a freshman.
Probably the most thrilling a part of Harper’s offensive sport is his ending across the basket. He transformed 67.6% of his pictures across the rim this season. These are numbers you’d usually see with a giant man. He’s inventive utilizing each palms to seek out angles to flip the ball up and in. He makes use of his dimension and power effectively to undergo weaker defenders. Quite a lot of his finishes across the basket remind me of Jalen Brunson, however in an even bigger physique. Whereas Harper isn’t an explosive athlete who will put defenders by the basket like Fortress does with the Spurs, he does present some respectable burst getting straight to the rim off of one-dribble drive.
It’s evident that Harper is a brilliant basketball participant. Regardless of his excessive utilization price in school, he had a 2-1 help to turnover ratio (would have been a lot increased had his teammates transformed simpler appears to be like) and posted a 12.7 turnover price, which might have been higher than each Fortress and Chris Paul this season. It’s uncommon to see him make the mistaken determination offensively, or accept a foul shot. He can manipulate or bend the protection along with his ball-handing or positioning on offense. Whereas he didn’t get the possibility to do it a lot, he confirmed just a few good flashes of chopping and relocating to the correct spots off the ball. Defensively he’s an energetic communicator you can typically hear barking at his teammates on the printed.
He’s not often known as a sharpshooter, however Harper was an efficient catch-and-shoot soar shooter this season. He knocked down 37% of his catch and shoot jumpers. His lefty kind is clean and replicable, even when its just a little flat and missing some elevation in his backside half.
Weaknesses
Harper is oh-so-close to having the full bundle as a go-to scorer. Sadly his pull-up soar shot is fairly far off from being satisfactory. Harper was quick on plenty of his pull-ups from each mid-range and deep. He had simply .54 factors per possession on pull-ups within the mid-range. His footwork on these pictures is pretty inconsistent, and his steadiness is method off. He knocked down a few superior step backs from all ranges that ought to make groups optimistic that he’ll someday develop some consistency on these forms of appears to be like.
It’s a combined bag defensively for Harper. He’s not an aggressive defender on and off the ball. Don’t anticipate him to create plenty of turnovers or lock down the opposing groups greatest participant. He can typically be late on a rotation or get caught ball or man watching, like some other younger participant. He’s huge and powerful sufficient to carry his personal, and will very effectively find yourself guarding 1 by 3 on the subsequent stage. Harper has the instruments to be a plus-defender on the subsequent stage, however he was inconsistent in his freshman season.
Very similar to among the stars he’s been in comparison with, Harper isn’t an excellent athlete. He’s not gradual or floor sure, however you gained’t see him utilizing his sheer athleticism to create alternatives for himself. He’s bought common lateral pace, which suggests faster guards might be able to catch him if he’s out of place within the NBA. He could make up for a few of this on each ends with dimension and IQ, however his athleticism might be an element.
Harper wants some work as an off-ball participant, and he didn’t get plenty of reps at Rutgers to enhance that a part of his sport. When he discovered himself with out the ball in his palms, he stood round a bit an excessive amount of, ready to get it again. He’ll should be a extra energetic mover and participant within the offense, particularly if he goes to a workforce just like the Spurs. He made some good cuts this season, which factors to that in a unique context, he could carry out higher off the ball.
Spurs match
When San Antonio bought the second choose, the rapid concern was Harper’s slot in an already crowded again courtroom. De’Aaron Fox and Fortress are core elements of the Spurs’ future.
It’s an comprehensible conclusion to make. All three gamers are at their greatest with the ball of their palms (though you may argue Fortress did plenty of work off the ball on cuts or straight line drives) and none of them are elite shooters but. However the NBA Playoffs have proven that it’s okay to play a number of ball-handlers collectively, and the extra gamers you have got that may create their very own offense, the higher off you’ll be when defenses tighten up.
The Thunder play a number of guards alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, like Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams. The Pacers play Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard subsequent to one another. Denver will run out Russell Westbrook, Jamal Murray and Christian Braun in the identical lineup. The most effective groups within the league are taking part in a number of ball-handlers to make themselves tougher for opposing defenses to cowl.
San Antonio has at all times thrived with groups that featured a number of playmakers taking part in an unselfish, pass-heavy sport. Harper, Fox and Fortress would match into that fashion of play. Harper has the dimensions to play off guard, and doubtlessly defend some wings within the NBA. Whereas he didn’t get a ton of reps off the ball at Rutgers, his catch and shoot numbers, excessive really feel for the sport and chopping flashes make it appear to be he may match into the Spurs scheme. Is the match ultimate alongside Fortress and Fox? Not precisely, however all of them have the traits to play alongside different scoring guards.
Backside line: the Spurs want extra offensive expertise. They aren’t on the level the place they go on a possible All-Star stage scorer for a participant with a “higher match.” Harper and Wembanyama may very well be an iconic scoring duo for years to return, and the Rutgers’ guard ought to profit from taking part in alongside one other stud lefty in Fox. If San Antonio drafts Harper, they’ll be surrounding Wembanyama with one other inventive, good and thrilling scorer.
Indicators level to Harper being the Spurs’ selection with the quantity two choose. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony stated he’s 99.9% certain San Antonio will choose Harper with the second choose. Michael C Wright tweeted that the Spurs are pleased with the second choose. If true, Harper ought to instantly assist the Spurs get again into the playoffs, and provides them an superior scorer for years to return.
