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Eddie Johnson picks out underrated San Antonio Spurs star who gave Jalen Brunson ‘a hard time…’

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Dec 18, 2025 11:12 AM ET

Eddie Johnson believes one star on the San Antonio Spurs deserves some praise for the defense he played against Jalen Brunson.

The New York Knicks just made history, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Las Vegas to win the NBA Cup, their first trophy in 53 years.

While there are concerns about the Knicks suffering from the NBA Cup curse in the playoffs, for now, the Knicks have every right to celebrate this win.

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OG Anunoby made the best of Dirk Nowitzki’s advice to score 28 points, but he lost out on the NBA Cup MVP to Jalen Brunson.

Despite scoring less than OG Anunoby, Brunson was named the MVP, and that might be because of the tough defense he had to overcome from the San Antonio Spurs.

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Eddie Johnson loved the defense from Dylan Harper on Jalen Brunson

Eddie Johnson spoke on SiriusXM’s NBA show about the NBA Cup final and which players stood out the most to him.

He agreed with his co-host that it was rookie Dylan Harper who made the biggest impression, especially on the defensive end of the court.

Did the New York Knicks deserve to win the NBA Cup?

The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs to win the 3rd Annual NBA Cup!

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What stuck out to Johnson the most was the composure that Harper showed, especially given how early into his NBA career he is.

“He really does (play with a lot of composure). What really got me was what we talked about… Defensively, he got up on Jalen Brunson.

“And Brunson had a hard time getting past him. This is a kid who is a year removed out of high school!”

Dylan Harper is going to be a star for the San Antonio Spurs

Ahead of the NBA Draft, a lot of fans expected the San Antonio Spurs to listen to offers for the #2 overall pick.

Instead, the Spurs chose to draft Dylan Harper, thus cementing their big three for the future with him, Victor Wembanyama, and Stephon Castle.

With these three top prospects, the Spurs will be a very dangerous team for years to come. And Harper has immediately delivered, averaging 13.1 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.1 rebounds.

Expect Harper to continue getting big minutes with the Spurs, whether that be as a starter or off the bench.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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