Dylan Harper is heading into the 2026-27 season with another layer to his game, and that’s a scary thought for the rest of the league.
After a rookie year that already put him in the Spurs’ rotation as one of their most reliable offensive options, Harper’s profile is only getting louder. San Antonio has plenty to dream on with Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama in the mix, and Harper fits right into that long-term picture because of what he brings physically as much as what he does skill-wise.
He showed it last season with the kind of touch and confidence that let him knife into the paint and finish with either hand. That wasn’t just empty highlight material, either. During the 2026 Playoffs, when possessions tightened up and the pressure spiked, Harper was still scoring over some of the league’s best defenders.
Now there’s reason to think he’s coming back even more explosive.
Harper’s trainer, Nick Potthoff, said on Instagram that the guard “followed up an impressive rookie season by posting a 99th percentile ranking for lateral force production. One focus of his offseason training was building stiffness and awareness through the foot and ankle,”
That kind of work should show up in a few obvious places. It can help Harper get cleaner separation on the drive, make him quicker past defenders, and give him more force when he’s finishing through rim protectors.
For a player who was already using natural ability to beat defenders, that’s a dangerous upgrade. Harper’s not easing up on the accelerator. He’s attacking his second year like someone who knows the ceiling is high and wants to keep pushing it higher.
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Spurs May Have Found A Real Rotation Question Worth Watching
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Jones-Garcias path, though, is still a work in progress, which is why his summer matters. The Spurs may have some playing time available for him next season, and a reserve scoring job would be a real opening for a player trying to carve out a place in the rotation. How he looks in the qualifiers will help shape that discussion, especially if he can steady the parts of his game that have been less reliable lately. [Read more 🡒]