Dylan Harper, the 19-year-old son of five-time champion Ron Harper, is a blue-chip prospect who will presumably be available at number two on NBA Draft night (June 25) after Cooper Flagg is selected. He would be the best player for the Spurs to grab because of his talent, pedigree and poise.
Harper is a 6’6” southpaw combo guard who was hard to speed up at the college level and scored efficiently inside the arc at 57.4 percent. Being in San Antonio would make the guard room a bit crowded, but it’s difficult to envision him falling below seventh in minutes because of his fit and historically, number two picks average 26.1 minutes as rookies since the 1999-00 season.
Impressively, he stays calm under pressure and can take the big shots late, as evidenced by his two huge baskets at the end of the second half against Seton Hall, which included the game-winning pull-up triple. See for yourself:
Having another versatile ball handler like him is a strength, as he can be a transition threat and a third option to run screen rolls with Victor Wembanyama or others. Wemby’s size, catch radius and mobility will make an easier target who can roll or pop. Additionally, mixing De’Aaron Fox’s speed with Harper’s playmaking could make another impactful pick-and-roll combo.
Yet, Harper will also have to get used to playing in extra motion with the Spurs and being off-ball since his body is not strong enough to handle some of the league’s top defenders. His decent catch-and-shoot ability will make it easier to adjust in the Spurs’ system and it could be exploited more often by using him as an off-ball screener.
He doesn’t have Stephon Castle’s torque, but he can glide to the basket and could be a dependable option, running plays for the second unit. Particularly, his ability to get separation will help the release valves like Harrison Barnes and Julian Champagnie swish deep jumpers. Keep in mind that being a bigger ball handler makes it easier for him to dissect a show-and-recover and a blitz or to overpower smaller defenders. Check this out:
Additionally, he has the defensive potential to be a pest with good foot speed and his 6 ‘10 wingspan, disrupting ball handlers as he tags them one-on-one or comes in as a helper. His measurables and maneuverability can also be an asset when shifting into a zone or full-court press.
Some concerns are his low assist-to-turnover ratio (1.67), recording more turnovers than assists in 24.1 percent of his games at Rutgers, and his 3-point percentage is below average (33). Yet, these shouldn’t be enough to convince the Spurs to go another route. Harper is very talented and can be one of the most dynamic players from his draft class plus an instant contributor because he can play next to De’Aaron Fox, Castle, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson.
Specifically, he’d be able to show his athletic gifts early playing with Wemby or Fox, as they make coverages overreact, allowing Harper to attack space on catch-and-go moves.
He could also be a powerhouse when he puts on size and with some seasoning from the coaches. Consider how much Wembanyama and Castle improved just as rookies. One of the good signs about Harper that should translate is that he got to the line a fair amount at school (5.8), being eighth in attempts for the Big Ten conference.
The NBA arms race will kick off on Draft night. Luckily for the Spurs, it doesn’t get safer than choosing Harper at number two.