As Victor Wembanyama chases his first title, a surging rookie floor general is outshining the veteran star, forcing San Antonio to rethink its high-stakes backcourt rotation.
The San Antonio Spurs may have entered the NBA Finals searching for their first championship of the Victor Wembanyama era, but another storyline is becoming impossible to ignore.
Dylan Harper already had the case to be the franchise’s point guard of the future, but his performance in these playoffs, as well as in Game 1 of the Finals, has possibly put him on the fast track to stardom.
His point per game average has jumped to just over 13 points per game, and he has done so while shooting an impressive 53 percent from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc. Harper has also shown a bit of versatility with nearly six rebounds per game in the postseason.
The rookie’s rise throughout the postseason has been one of the biggest surprises of San Antonio’s playoff run. Harper has consistently looked comfortable in high-pressure situations, showing poise, decision-making, and an ability to impact winning beyond the box score. While many young players struggle under the bright lights of the playoffs, Harper has embraced the moment.
That trend continued in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. Despite the Spurs falling short, Harper once again provided steady play at the point guard position. He put up 16 points in 28 minutes off the bench, as well as eight boards.
His performance becomes even more notable when compared to veteran point guard De'Aaron Fox.
The Spurs made a major investment in Fox, committing significant money to the former All-Star with the expectation that he would be one of the franchise’s cornerstone players alongside Wembanyama. While Fox remains one of the league’s most talented guards, his playoff production has left plenty to be desired.
Fox averaged just under 19 points per game in the regular season, but that has dropped to around 15 in the playoffs. Combine that with his very poor performance in Game 1 of the Finals, and Harper's play becomes more encouraging.
The ideal scenario for San Antonio may be allowing Harper to continue developing while sharing responsibilities with Fox. However, if the rookie continues to perform at this level on the biggest stage, it may only be a matter of time before he becomes the primary floor general.
And that may be sooner rather than later, as the Spurs' benching him for Fox in the late stages of Game 1 proved to be a costly mistake.
For now, both Fox and Harper will be looking to help San Antonio bounce back in Game 2 at home. But there could be a change coming on the horizon in the Spurs' backcourt.
