Dylan Harper isn’t buying the offseason noise around Mitch Johnson.
In a sit-down with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, the young Spurs guard made it plain that he sees Johnson and the staff as a major part of San Antonio’s development. That message lands at a time when Johnson has taken plenty of heat after the Spurs’ Finals loss, but Harper’s stance cuts in the other direction.
“So I mean, him and the rest of the staff, I think they've-I think they've put up a great kind of structure for us," Harper tells Robinson. "And they allowed us to grow. And he's growing right with us."
That’s the heart of it: Harper says the Spurs have a system they believe in, and Johnson is not standing above it so much as growing through it with the team. For Harper, that buy-in matters. He’s made it clear he’s behind the coach and the broader direction of the group.
Johnson’s Finals performance drew criticism for reasons that were easy to see. His handling of timeouts, lineups, and substitutions came under the microscope on the biggest stage in basketball. Harper felt some of that directly, too, as he was subbed out during key stretches even while his offense held steady, giving the Knicks room to capitalize.
Still, Harper is not letting those moments define the coach. The idea that Johnson isn’t the right fit, as some offseason chatter suggested, doesn’t hold water in Harper’s view. He sees inexperience as a major factor in Johnson’s rough patches, and he understands that part of coaching growth can be messy.
What stands out is that Harper hasn’t let last season’s mistakes or the summer criticism change his read on the situation. The second-year guard is still invested in Johnson’s system and in the Spurs’ overall growth, from the staff down to the end of the bench.
There’s also a natural parallel between the two. Harper has had to find his way as a rookie in a crowded backcourt while carrying the expectations that come with being the second overall pick. Johnson, meanwhile, was thrown into the head coaching job for one of the NBA’s most storied franchises and had to steer an unusual, inexperienced roster.
Both faced uncomfortable situations. Both had to adjust fast. And both, in their own lanes, helped push San Antonio toward becoming a premier Western Conference powerhouse.
If that shared growth keeps going, the Spurs may end up with something bigger than a promising coach-player connection. It could become the foundation for what comes next.
In Other News...
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The appeal is not just what Harris can score, but how he does it. His low turnover rate gives the Spurs a cleaner path to maintaining possession, and that kind of stability has been a recurring issue in the biggest moments. If his style meshes the way the front office hopes, he could become one of those understated pieces who helps prevent the kind of late-game breakdowns that have haunted San Antonio before. [Read more 🡒]
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Quaintance offers the biggest upside, but his path is clouded by health, while Reed has the kind of size that could make him useful in the frontcourt mix if the Spurs need help there. Gillespie and Brown both give San Antonio options in different ways, depending on what the team needs from the back half of the rotation. It is the sort of rookie class that gives the Spurs real hope because of its variety, but it also comes with an obvious reminder that not every piece will be ready on the same timetable. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Free Agency Pitch Now Revolves Around One Bold Standard
San Antonios free-agency pitch is taking on a clear shape, and it starts with Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs are using his contract as the standard for how they talk about money, trying to position themselves as a destination where talent fits around a franchise centerpiece instead of being paid as if it is the centerpiece. For a team trying to build the next version of its roster, that matters as much as the on-court plan.
It also gives the Spurs a built-in line in future negotiations. Rather than chase every name that reaches the market, they plan to measure outside options against Wembanyamas value and keep from overpaying for pieces that do not move the needle enough. That same thinking is expected to carry into the next rounds of team business, where the balance between roster flexibility and star-driven success will keep shaping how San Antonio spends. [Read more 🡒]