Spurs rookies Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant show significant growth, earning an 'A-' grade. Their development fuels optimism for San Antonio's future.
The San Antonio Spurs have one of the best futures of any team in the NBA, and it is due to them building their roster with young rising stars through the draft.
Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle are the obvious ones, but the team's rookies this season are absolutely not slouches either.
In a recent article by Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz, he grades every NBA team's rookie class now that the season is roughly halfway over. For the Spurs, he gives them a very solid 'A-'.
"The San Antonio Spurs are rolling along, with Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant showing real signs of growth," Swartz writes. "While the Spurs’ season overall has been defined by growth and roster evolution, the progress shown by their young players — particularly Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant — is a major reason for optimism in San Antonio."
Harper, the Spurs’ most anticipated rookie, hasn’t put up the kind of numbers that grab national headlines like some of the other top first-year talents around the league. Nevertheless, his impact on the court has been real and noticeable.
He is averaging a very solid 11 points on 46 percent shooting from the field, and he is doing so coming off the bench every game. The Spurs have their fair share of star guards with De'Aaron Fox and Castle, so Harper putting up these numbers is good to see as one of the team's future pieces.
The one area holding Harper back from an even higher grade right now is his three-point shooting. At roughly 25 percent from deep, it’s an area the Spurs will hope improves as he continues to find his rhythm in the NBA.
Meanwhile, Carter Bryant has been trending in the right direction as the season has gone on. After some early growing pains, Bryant has started to find consistency and confidence, particularly from beyond the arc.
In his last four games, he’s averaging around 10 points and four rebounds while knocking down nearly 43 percent of his three-point attempts. That kind of shooting — especially from a young wing — is exactly what San Antonio envisioned when they drafted him.
For Spurs fans, this grade isn’t just about how the rookies have performed so far — it’s a reflection of what the future could look like. With Harper and Bryant continuing to improve, San Antonio’s young core could be a foundational piece of the next competitive Spurs era.