Most NBA rookies are bad. Dylan Harper is not. The No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft took no time at all to [look extremely comfortable on the floor](https://airalamo.com/dylan-harper-painfully-obvious-blueprint-reaching-stardom-with-spurs), and he's been instrumental in the Spurs' 4-0 start. Harper has scored in double-figures every game, shot over 40 percent in three of them, recorded 14 assists in the last two, and grabbed at least four rebounds in each of them, too.
In the extremely early going of another long, winding NBA season, what separates Harper from his contemporaries is an unwillingness to play at the pace dictated for him.
In his first four games, Harper is the one dictating his movements, pace, and decisions. That's ultra rare for 19 year-olds, and it's a good reminder why he was the No. 2 pick in the draft; his success in college didn't come solely because of athletic gifts (though they didn't hurt), it happened largely because of his elite ability to read a game situation and attack in the best way possible.
Harper has shown that literacy in the very early stages of his pro career; none of his baskets have been flukes. He's earning everything, and passes the early eye test with flying colors. While most rookies lack patience and want to make a name for themselves as quickly as possible, Harper has been calm, showing the traits of both a future floor general and a future high-volume bucket-getter.
He's also shown a comfort to be both the ball-dominant guard (that San Antonio likely foresees him as down the line) and an off-ball option, constantly moving and operating as a weapon even when he's not the one making plays. That part, the ability to exist when he's not the one dribbling, will be a massive story to watch, especially on a Spurs team with a glut of guard options when De'Aaron Fox re-enters to the fold.
Dylan Harper is causing a problem for the Spurs backcourt
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But it's the best possible problem to have. Harper [and Stephon Castle already](https://airalamo.com/stephon-castle-bold-dylan-harper-comments-say-more-than-you-think) look like a formiddable backcourt duo, and De'Aaron Fox — the current best of the bunch — hasn't even played yet because of a hamstring injury.
When Fox does return, it could make things a little clunky at first, but too much talent at one position is hardly a pitiable situation for the Spurs to be in.
Also, if Harper can continue to be a good off-ball guard, then suddenly this trio doesn't look repititive, it looks like a group that can beat you in a bunch of different ways.
We know about Fox's isolation scoring ability and his (hopeful) dominance with Wemby in a two-man game. We know about Castle's outrageous individual defensive upside and his burgeoning playmaking chops, too. If Harper can be comfortable as a secondary ball-handling option and embraces catch-and-shoots, scoring on back cuts, and doing the little things that lead to an open shot, then the Spurs' three-headed point guard attack could be a legitimate force.