Welcome to Pounding the Rock’s 2025-26 participant opinions! The collection will have a look at the gamers who completed the season with the San Antonio Spurs on assured contracts and who performed consequential minutes and/or an important function (so no two-way gamers as a result of we hardly noticed them this 12 months, no gamers who have been traded away, and not one of the deep bench facilities, since they have been each irrelevant and are actually all gone).
2025-26 stats: 69 video games, 22.6 MPG, 11.8 factors, 3.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 50.5 FG%, 34.3 3FG%
Contract Standing: 3 years, $43 million remaining (workforce choice for 2027-28 and 2028-29)
The San Antonio Spurs went from a plucky younger workforce to a full-blown contender, largely because of the addition of rookie guard Dylan Harper. In his first season, Harper established himself as an untouchable a part of the Spurs’ core, the longer term working mate of Victor Wembanyama, and a possible All-NBA-caliber participant. (spoiler alert: he’s getting a superb grade!)
One of many largest questions coming into the common season was how Mitch Johnson would deal with his guard rotation. The Spurs had simply traded for De’Aaron Fox and signed him to a max contract, Stephon Fortress was coming off a Rookie of the Yr season, and Harper was chosen with the second-overall decide. That logjam left Harper with a bench function, regardless of his pedigree. He accepted that function and immediately reworked the Spurs’ bench, giving them a downhill scoring menace who may seemingly get to the rim at any time when he needed this season.
It’s uncommon to see rookie guards with Harper’s mixture of poise, persistence, footwork and ending capacity at his age. Harper shot 66% on the rim this season, changing across the basket with each fingers going by way of and round defenders. His mixture of dimension and athleticism makes him not solely a tough participant to include offensively, however a optimistic defender with room to develop as he will get used to the NBA recreation.
His common season efficiency earned him All-Rookie first-team honors in a loaded class. What followers will bear in mind most from Harper’s rookie 12 months is his postseason efficiency. It’s not that daring of a take to say the Spurs may not have made it out of the primary spherical of the playoffs if Harper hadn’t stepped up. After Wembanyama went down with a concussion in Recreation Two towards the Blazers, the Spurs discovered themselves down large in Recreation Three on the street. Harper responded with a second-half explosion that gave San Antonio the collection lead and utterly revived the Spurs.
Harper went on to be considered one of San Antonio’s most dependable gamers within the playoffs. Actually, he might have been the Spurs’ greatest participant within the NBA Finals. By the top of the collection, San Antonio was actively going to Harper within the clutch to get them buckets. At 20 years outdated, Harper was scoring 20+ factors on the most important stage towards the NBA champions. In only one 12 months, Harper established himself as one of many league’s most enjoyable younger gamers.
Harper’s playoff efficiency really raised extra questions on his future with the workforce than it offered solutions. Sure, Harper is undeniably a centerpiece for San Antonio shifting ahead. The query is how lengthy can the workforce afford to attend to be given the obligations that come together with being a core piece? It’s assumed that Harper will play a bench function in his sophomore season, with Fox and Fortress nonetheless blocking him from a beginning spot. Harper has mentioned publicly that he’s nice with that, however there’s already rising stress from media and followers alike to provide him extra alternatives.
Harper will probably be the Spurs’ sixth man subsequent 12 months, and end a majority of video games. We should always see extra of the three-guard lineup with Harper, Fortress, and Fox that San Antonio didn’t actually make the most of till it wanted the additional scoring pop within the Western Convention Finals and NBA Finals. Harper might be their main choice off the bench and sure the third or fourth choice within the closing lineup. That could be a gradual, and earned step up in obligations from his rookie 12 months, and ought to be a pleasant stepping stone to an eventual spot within the beginning lineup within the years to return.
He nonetheless wants to enhance in a number of key areas if he’s going to get extra accountability. Harper isn’t as robust of a playmaker as Fox or Fortress but. If he’s given the keys to the second unit, it could be nice to see him make strides in working the offense and making his teammates higher. His three-point taking pictures began to enhance because the season went alongside, as he shot 48% from three in 26 video games after the All-Star break. He additionally had some large taking pictures video games within the playoffs. He’ll have to proceed enhancing as an off-ball participant with all the opposite scoring choices on San Antonio’s roster.
The expectations for Harper subsequent season might be extraordinarily excessive. He confirmed excessive promise as a rookie. If the Spurs wish to get again to the NBA Finals and this time depart with a trophy, Harper is certain to be a giant a part of that. It doesn’t matter what his function finally ends up being subsequent season, Harper is certain to make an impression. The query stays how large that impression has to turn out to be earlier than he forces the Spurs to adapt the workforce to maximise his potential.
27 factors, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 4-5 from three in Spherical 1, Recreation 3 @ Portland Path Blazers
