The San Antonio Spurs fell to the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, but the future couldn't be brighter.
As celebrations broke out across New York City, the San Antonio Spurs were left wondering how they blew four double-digit leads and, more importantly, what's next.
The Spurs entered the season with a projected win total of just 44.5 games. Instead, they won 62, beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, and made it all the way to the NBA Finals.
Looking ahead to next season, it's hard to imagine the Spurs taking a step back. Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper are all going to take a step forward, and the entire core is still under contract.
Despite both playing below their roles in their rookie seasons, both Harper and Carter Bryant were key contributors for the Spurs all season, and San Antonio knows that it will have to ask more from them next season.
Spurs Reflect on Rookie Campaigns
Drafted second overall from Rutgers, Dylan Harper was expected to be a key contributor right away. In the Finals, he cemented himself as the Spurs' second-best player, snatching the title away from De'Aaron Fox and causing some unfathomable conversations behind closed doors.
While trade talks for Fox haven't been kicked off just yet, it's safe to say that Harper is most definitly the point guard of the future.
"Dylan, I think we all knew he was talented," said Devin Vassell. "I don't know if anybody knew he was this talented, probably besides himself. You know, he was upset with playing time and different roles that he was in, but what we needed in him most, he stepped up, and we have a star in the making. And I know that he's going to put so much work into the offseason."
Earlier in the season, the Spurs didn't use Harper as much as they could have, but he forced his way into the rotation, breaking out especially in the Finals.
Bryant, meanwhile, is still raw, although he has the markings of a defensive savant, and the Spurs are well aware that they've just scratched the surface with him.
"I just am really proud of him and Carter just because they're both rookies, so I'm going to take the opportunity to just see the way that they trusted the program and allowed us to educate them on corporate knowledge and what it meant to be a professional basketball player and one for the San Antonio Spurs," Mitch Johnson said. "And they did that appropriately, and then we saw their talent in their playing in the NBA finals and guarding MVPs and Anthony Edwards and et cetera, et cetera. So very proud of them."
While the Spurs are still leaning on Fox to be the team's veteran leader, the future is on the horizon, it looks great, and it's coming quicker than anyone could have expected.
