Bill Simmons didn’t leave much room for interpretation when he talked about Dylan Harper. The Ringer host, who has been one of Harper’s loudest supporters, used one word to frame the San Antonio Spurs guard’s future: “a prodigy.”
That kind of praise won’t exactly shock Spurs fans. Harper has already given them plenty to dream on, especially with what he showed in the playoffs. Even against a brutal run of top-12-ranked defenses, he kept finding ways to score, putting up 19 points per 36 minutes on strong efficiency while coming off the bench.
He carried that production into the NBA Finals, too. Against the New York Knicks, Harper averaged 18.0 points per game, and the source view here is that he was the third-best player in the series behind Jalen Brunson and Victor Wembanyama.
The bigger question now is how much room the Spurs give him to grow next season. The expectation is that San Antonio will lean harder into Harper after a strong rookie year, and the simplest way to do that is with more minutes. A workload of at least 30 minutes per game off the bench would be a clear step forward.
That matters because his rookie usage was still fairly limited. Harper averaged 22.6 minutes in the regular season and 26.7 minutes in the playoffs, which is part of why coach Mitch Johnson drew some questions. Johnson is still justified in keeping Harper in a bench role, but the idea is that the Spurs should lean more into their point guard trio and give all three players at least 30 minutes a night.
If that happens, the upside gets even louder. Harper could make a real run at Sixth Man of the Year, even with reigning winner and teammate Keldon Johnson in the picture. He could also put himself in the mix for Most Improved Player if his numbers jump the way the Spurs believe they can.
A stat line around 16.5 points, 5 assists, and 5.5 rebounds would put him in position to contend for both awards. More than that, it would give San Antonio a major lift.
And if De’Aaron Fox can’t become a 1A co-star next to Wembanyama, the Spurs will need more from Stephon Castle and Harper to help carry the scoring load. Both are capable of taking a big step, and Wembanyama can do the same.
But the belief here is that Harper might have the biggest leap of all. The Spurs are clearly counting on him to become a superstar fast and make Simmons - and their own fan base - look right.
In Other News...
Spurs Fans May Have Finally Found The Rookie They Wanted
San Antonios first-round addition is drawing attention for all the right reasons, and not because he is arriving with a scoring-heavy reputation. Tarris Reed Jr. sounds ready to lean into the kind of role Spurs fans have long appreciated from their big men: defend, rebound, set hard screens and bring a physical edge every time he steps on the floor. In his first comments, Reed made clear he is comfortable doing the dirty work and letting effort, toughness and consistency define his early place in the rotation.
There is also a certain Spurs-specific appeal in the way Reed talks about the job ahead, with respect for the franchises standard and a willingness to earn everything that comes next. He has already begun taking in the culture around him, and the next part of the adjustment will be turning that mindset into real minutes and real impact. For a team that values discipline and detail, Reeds approach gives them a rookie who sounds built for the unglamorous parts of winning. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Are Waiting For Carter Bryant To Show Something Bigger
After his rookie season, Carter Bryant came back to the Spurs Summer League group with a chance to do more than just get extra reps. San Antonio wants him using this stretch to grow into a steadier presence, and coach Corliss Williamson has been clear that the next step is not only about talent, but about becoming more vocal and more reliable as the game speeds up around him.
Bryants development is still being treated as a longer-term project, even as the Spurs expect his role to expand next season. For now, the focus is on sharpening the parts of his game that can help him command more trust, especially in live action where decision-making and tone-setting matter as much as the shots he takes. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs May Have Finally Found The Young Big They Were Missing
The Spurs spent part of the offseason trying to patch a center rotation that left too much to be desired a year ago, and rookie Tarris Reed Jr. is quickly becoming the most interesting part of that effort. He is in Summer League now, but the organizations decision to trade up for him on draft night says plenty about how strongly it views his chances to help, especially as a physical interior presence who can set screens, clean the glass and give the offense a more traditional big-man option.
For San Antonio, the appeal is not just that Reed fits a need, but that he may fit it early. The Spurs have been searching for size they can trust behind their core, and Reeds path to real minutes could be clearer than most rookies if he keeps showing the same kind of steady, blue-collar value in Las Vegas. There is still another young big in the mix, but his situation adds a layer of uncertainty the Spurs would rather not have to lean on right away. [Read more 🡒]