The San Antonio Spurs already look loaded on paper, but there’s another wrinkle in their favor that doesn’t show up in the usual roster breakdowns: De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper are both left-handed.
That might sound like a small detail. It isn’t.
Defending lefties is a different problem, and the Spurs may be set up to make teams feel it all season long. Most defenders are used to shading players toward their right side and forcing them left.
Against Fox or Harper, that habit can backfire fast. Both guards can get into the paint with ease, and that kind of pressure bends a defense until shooters start opening up around them.
It’s also unusual to have two left-handed players carrying so much of the offense. A lot of the NBA’s biggest scorers are right-handed, which makes San Antonio’s setup stand out even more.
Fox finished last season 35th in scoring at 18.8 points per game, but he was sixth among left-handed players. Harper, who averaged 11.8 points, wasn’t far behind the top 10 in that same group.
The bigger point for the Spurs is that both players are expected to be better next season. Fox, even after a down year by his standards, still showed enough to rank near the top of the left-handed scoring list.
There’s also the sense that he could take a step forward if he gets more chances to run the offense. Moving from Sacramento to San Antonio cut into some of the scoring he had before, and more on-ball responsibility could help him get that back.
Harper brings a different kind of upside. He outplayed Fox in the NBA Finals and is climbing quickly.
If his minutes jump the way they could, he might push himself into the conversation with the league’s best left-handed scorers next season. He could see his role expand into the 28-to-30-minute range, and with his per-36 production of 18 points last season, averaging around 16.5 points per game doesn’t sound far-fetched.
Among the Spurs’ big four, Fox and Harper may have the most room to grow. Fox has the chance to look more like the Sacramento version of himself.
Harper just needs the floor time. Add in Stephon Castle improving as a shooter, and San Antonio could end up with a backcourt that’s not only dangerous, but awkward to defend because of that lefty edge.
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Shaq Just Put The Spurs In A Different Conversation
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The more interesting part is where ONeal sees the path getting difficult. He pointed to the Oklahoma City Thunder as the Spurs most likely hurdle in the Western Conference, but still sounded convinced San Antonio can get through it if Wembanyama keeps taking over games. For a team still building around its centerpiece, that kind of belief from a Hall of Fame center says plenty about how far the Spurs have already come in the leagues eyes. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Believe Wembanyama May Be One Change From Offensive Takeoff
San Antonios offense has spent plenty of time looking for easier answers than the ones that come from the perimeter, and the middle of the floor may be where the next step starts. The Spurs added Tobias Harris, whose comfort in the mid-range gives them another veteran option in the spots where defenses have to make quick decisions, and that fits neatly with a broader push to make the offense less predictable.
Victor Wembanyama is the real swing piece, though, because the Spurs believe his path to a bigger leap could come from developing in the same areas. If he can become a threat from the free-throw line and the elbows, it changes the geometry of everything around him and gives San Antonio a more versatile way to attack. The idea is simple enough, even if the payoff still has to be earned on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Rookie Dylan Harper Is Already Becoming A Huge Collector Name
Dylan Harpers rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs has already pushed him into a different kind of spotlight, one that follows players off the court and into the hobby. The first-round buzz around his cards has been building quickly, and that momentum will be on display Friday when Harper makes his first appearance at the National Sports Collectors Convention, joining an eBay Live break with seller Blez.
Harper is not the only name from the family showing up in Chicago. Ron Harper Sr. is set for a Saturday eBay Live stream tied to Michael Jordan collectibles, adding another layer to a weekend that already has plenty of collector intrigue around the Spurs rookie. For a player whose cards have become a hot item so early, the convention is the latest reminder that his market is moving almost as fast as his basketball profile. [Read more 🡒]