Where would the San Antonio Spurs be without Dylan Harper? They may not be anywhere close to the NBA Finals if they weren't able to snag him with the second overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. He has been that excellent in his rookie campaign, and in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, Harper continued to show that there is no such thing as a stage that's too big and too bright for him.
Harper, despite the Spurs' 105-95 loss to the Knicks in Game 1, showed out off the bench. In 28 minutes off the pine, Harper scored 16 points on 6-10 shooting from the field, and he added eight rebounds for good measure. He continues to provide a spark for the Spurs, and in so doing, he made history that puts him quite the historic level as a rookie.
As per StatMuse, Harper became just the first rookie in the Western Conference to record at least 250 points and 100 rebounds total in a single playoff run since Magic Johnson accomplished the feat in 1980.
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Of course, Johnson was a different animal, as he looked like a surefire Hall of Famer and a no-doubt starter for the Los Angeles Lakers as soon as he entered the NBA. In the Finals is where Johnson established himself as a legitimate superstar, as his performance in the Lakers' clinching victory in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals has withstood the test of time.
Starting for the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at center, Johnson put on the performance of a lifetime, recording 42 points and 15 rebounds to seal the deal for the Lakers.
Now, Harper is yet to have that kind of moment for the Spurs. But with De'Aaron Fox struggling (seven points, 3-13 shooting), Harper may need to step up big time for San Antonio as they look to bounce back from a series deficit against the Knicks.
Where would the San Antonio Spurs be without Dylan Harper? They may not be anywhere close to the NBA Finals if they weren't able to snag him with the second overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. He has been that excellent in his rookie campaign, and in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, Harper continued to show that there is no such thing as a stage that's too big and too bright for him.