Dylan Harper is already one of the best players on the San Antonio Spurs, and the team is expected to give him bigger responsibilities in his second season.
Between Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper, the San Antonio Spurs are built on lottery luck. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, most fans would say building through the draft is doing things "the right way," although most teams don't get three straight top-five picks.
Even more remarkable is the fact that each one of those three players has panned out. All of them are ahead of schedule and on a star trajectory, with Wembanyama leading the way as an MVP candidate.
For now, Castle is better than Harper, although that probably won't be the case for much longer. In the NBA Finals, Harper seemed to be the better player, and with the wind in his sails, he's expected to take a leap.
Dylan Harper Poised to Take Leap
Dylan Harper is not quite the defender Stepohon Castle is, but he is a more complete offensive player.
In his rookie season, he shot 34.3 percent from 3-point range, 33.3 percent in the postseason. However, in the final 20 games of the regular season, he hit 53.6 percent of his attempts, showcasing that he can be a sniper.
If his shots continue to fall next season, he should be given a much bigger role.
"This coming season, Harper should receive a larger role from the Spurs despite De'Aaron Fox playing in front of him," predicted Bleacher Report's Mo Dakhil. "Coach Mitch Johnson has the luxury of pairing him with Fox or Stephon Castle—at times, playing all three together. Harper may still come off the bench, but there are more minutes out there for him, especially if he can become a more consistent shooter like he was at the end of the regular season. Harper came into his rookie season not playing like a rookie, and after the run he had in the Finals, expect him to make a major leap next season that goes beyond just a rookie into his sophomore season."
Castle, it seems, has All-Star and All-Defensive potential. Wembanyama, meanwhile, is already one of the best players in the NBA. Harper should be somewhere between those two guys, although if all goes to plan, he could be closer to Wemby than Castle.
That's a scary thought for the rest of the league.
