Dylan Harper didn’t need long to figure out what makes the Thunder such a problem.
The Spurs rookie had a strong first season, but when he was asked about the toughest matchups he faced, he went straight to Oklahoma City’s top two creators. Even after San Antonio got the better of the Thunder in their first meeting, Harper came away convinced the challenge was real.
“Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] and Jalen Williams, them two [with] OKC,” Harper said when responding about who his toughest matchups were to guard this season. “When we first played them, we beat them, but I was like, those two are kind of hard to guard… They've got four ball handlers on the floor, and with Shai, just the way he creates angles and gets to your body.”
"Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] and Jalen Williams... When we first played them, we beat them... Them two kinda hard to guard."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 13, 2026
Dylan Harper on who he thinks is the toughest cover in the NBA 🗣️
(via @VinceAndTmac)pic.twitter.com/1huBJB0fPt
That’s the kind of scouting report that comes from being on the floor with them. Gilgeous-Alexander just picked up his second straight MVP award and has now cleared 30 points per game in four consecutive seasons. Williams is the other half of one of the league’s most dangerous superstar pairings, and his game brings enough unusual wrinkles to give defenders headaches.
Harper’s comments land with a little extra weight because San Antonio still managed to reach the NBA Finals this season with a young roster many thought was a year or two away from that level. Along the way, the Spurs not only took down the defending champions in the Western Conference Finals, but also beat Oklahoma City four times in five regular-season games.
Even with that success, Harper made it clear the Thunder are no easy assignment. And with Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams both signed long term, the rookie from Rutgers may be seeing plenty more of them in the years ahead as part of San Antonio’s young core.
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