The latest NBA 2K ratings have done more than stir up the usual online chatter. For the Spurs, they’ve pushed a bigger question right back into the spotlight: where exactly do De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper fit together?
2K gave Harper an 85 and Fox an 84, and that gap says plenty about how the league is starting to view the two guards. Harper’s number doesn’t feel like a hot take after what he just did.
The 20-year-old outplayed Fox on the NBA’s biggest stage and followed that with a breakout performance in the NBA Finals. That’s the kind of run that changes the conversation fast.
The idea that Harper should be starting next season is no longer some wild overreaction either. Fox is the bigger name, the two-time All-Star with the massive contract, but his play last season opened the door for exactly this debate. Harper, meanwhile, looked like a player whose ceiling is only beginning to show.
Tim MacMahon made that point clear when he said, “Dylan Harper I think is going to end up being their second best player.. They could have three All-NBA players as soon as this season.”
Fox’s season was a tale of two stretches. He opened hot, putting up 24.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in his first 11 games after a delayed start to the year.
After that, the production slipped. His scoring leaned more and more on pull-up mid-range shots and threes, with less pressure at the rim.
It worked for a while, but once the jumper cooled off, the inconsistency showed up.
That’s why a bounce-back year from Fox would mean so much for San Antonio. If he can get back to the level he showed with the Kings, the Spurs suddenly have a very different kind of offense. And if that comes with internal growth from Stephon Castle and Harper, the upside gets even louder.
The biggest piece for Fox is simple: get the burst back. Even last season, when he was moving slower than usual, he still ranked among the NBA’s best at getting into the paint. If that part of his game returns, the Spurs could end up with three of the league’s best slashers on the same roster.
Harper may already be the better player, even if the numbers haven’t fully caught up yet. But Fox still matters here, and plenty.
If Harper keeps pushing, Fox might have no choice but to answer. If that happens, both the ratings and the Spurs’ record should look a lot better next season.
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For San Antonio, the interesting part is the matchup itself, since the Spurs are one of the teams Edwards singled out as a test Minnesota expects to pass. The Timberwolves are still sorting out chemistry and roles with their reshaped roster, so the meeting has the feel of a measuring-stick game for both sides, even if Edwards made it clear where he thinks the balance stands right now. [Read more 🡒]