A forgotten playoff burst may have been the clearest sign yet that Dylan Harper is built for something bigger.
In San Antonio’s first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers, Harper found himself directly challenged by former third overall pick Scoot Henderson. Henderson had been putting together a strong series before he poked the hornet's net and got into it with Harper. Harper answered by dogwalking Henderson in the fourth quarter and finishing with 27 points on just 12 shots.
That kind of production is eye-catching on its own. A rookie scoring 27 in a playoff game is rare enough. Doing it off the bench, while completely outplaying a former top prospect who was holding his own in the series, makes it stand out even more.
That performance ended up swinging the series. San Antonio grabbed a 2-1 lead, then won Game 4 and eventually closed out the series. Henderson’s play dropped off after trying to show up Harper, and the moment that sparked the shift has mostly faded into the background because of the bigger playoff run that followed for the Spurs.
Still, it was a clear look at Harper’s ceiling.
Taking over on the road in the playoffs as a rookie is not something you see often, and Harper did it against a Portland team that was no easy target. The Blazers ranked 12th in defensive rating last season and are known for the edge they get at home. Harper made both Henderson and Portland look overmatched in that game.
And that wasn’t his only big postseason showing.
He delivered 24 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 7 steals in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He also scored 25 points and pulled down five rebounds off the bench in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. By the end of that series, he had established himself as the third best player behind Jalen Brunson and Victor Wembanyama.
For a 20-year-old, that’s a loud statement.
Looking ahead to next season, Harper is expected to take on a bigger workload, with a role that could push him toward around 30 minutes per game while still working with the second unit. If that extra run turns into something like 16.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists a night, it would be a major leap - one that could put him in the mix for Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year.
More than anything, it would reinforce what that playoff moment already hinted at: Harper has superstar written all over him.
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Spurs Have A Big Question As Their Guard Trio Takes On More
Mitch Johnson is pushing the Spurs toward a bigger role for their young guard trio, with Dylan Harper, DeAaron Fox and Stephon Castle expected to share the floor more often than they did a year ago. The idea is built on what the group flashed in limited stretches last season, and San Antonio wants to see those promising moments turn into something more stable as the minutes start to rise.
For that to work, the fit has to be cleaner away from the ball. Johnson has pointed to the need for the guards to sharpen the little things that make an overloaded backcourt function, especially spacing the floor and cutting hard to the rim. It is the kind of adjustment that could unlock the lineup, and also the part of the experiment that will decide whether the Spurs can keep leaning into it. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama May Need One New Weapon To Protect His Future
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The idea is pretty simple: if Wembanyama can become more dependable from the middle of the floor, he may not have to absorb so much contact at the rim or rely as heavily on the same high-impact possessions every night. His current touch from that area leaves room for growth, and for a player with his long-term importance in San Antonio, the payoff would not just be about scoring. It would be about building a path that keeps his game efficient, sustainable and a little easier on his future. [Read more 🡒]
Tobias Harris Just Changed A Tough Spurs Decision
Tobias Harris arrived in San Antonio as one of the more interesting offseason additions, and the fit already feels like a live roster question for the Spurs. At media day, Harris made it clear he is focused on winning and is prepared to handle whatever role the team asks of him, which is exactly the kind of flexibility a young team wants from a veteran forward.
The complication is obvious enough: Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie are the current starting forwards, and Harris gives the Spurs another proven option in that same mix. His place in the rotation will come down to what the team needs and how everyone performs, making this less about a simple signing and more about an early-season decision that could shape the way the Spurs line up. [Read more 🡒]