The San Antonio Spurs, for the third year in a row, seemed to have won the NBA Draft. After picking Rookies of the Year Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, the Spurs selected Dylan Harper second overall.

While VJ Edgecombe and Tre Johnson got off to blistering starts, Harper seemed to be uncharacteristically steady for a rookie point guard. In his first full five games, he averaged 14.4 points and 4.6 assists per game. After shooting 33.3% from deep at Rutgers, he began his NBA career sinking 35.7% of his attempts.

Between De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Harper, the Spurs were expected to have one of the better, deeper backcourts in the NBA, even if their experience is limited.

In his sixth career game, Harper suffered a calf strain and has yet to return. Initially, he was expected to miss "a couple of weeks," although that timeline seems to be pushed back.

"Dylan Harper (calf strain) is out of his walking boot and has progressed to physical activity, Mitch Johnson said," posted reporter Jeff McDonald on BlueSky.  "Probably still a few weeks away."

The Spurs have yet to enjoy a game with all three of their guards healthy. Without Harper, Castle has averaged 15 points and 9.4 assists, although his shooting and turnovers remain a concern. Still, he is a pesky defender and solid facilitator who can easily share the floor with both Fox and Victor Wembanyama.

However, during the Spurs' most recent win over the Sacramento Kings, Castle left the game with a hip injury and did not return. Between Fox and Phoenix Suns' guard Jalen Green, hip injuries seem to be on the rise, and recovery time varies. So far, the Spurs have not offered a concrete prediction regarding either Castle or Harper, leaving a still-rusty Fox as the only reliable ball-handler in the backcourt.

On top of that, Wembanyama missed the game against the Kings with calf tightness. However, there is no reason to think that he will miss extended time.

Still, with Harper, Wembanyama, and Castle all on the injury report and the Spurs being secretive about all of their long-term statuses, the injuries could cause concern for fans. The Spurs will play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Christmas Day, a marquee matchup, and it's the opinion of this reporter that the holiday could be a realistic target date for Harper despite initial reports pointing to him making a speedier recovery.