How Dylan Harper Is Contributing to Spurs' Resurgence

The Spurs can thank their multi-skilled big man (Wembanyama), their prolific veteran point guard (De’Aaron Fox) and their emerging All-Star caliber candidate (Stephon Castle). They also can extend gratitude to Harper for his early rookie ascension as a promising scorer (13.1 points per game), playmaker (3.7 assists) and defender. Harper seems consumed mostly with giving the Spurs another championship banner following their 11-year absence from the NBA Finals. With Wembanyama and Castle winning consecutive Rookie of the Year awards, however, Harper also sounds determined to keep that hardware within the family.

“That’s definitely a goal of mine, to make it three in a row,” Harper said. “I think the coaching staff and the players are probably going to make it easy for me to go showcase my talents.”

It appears unlikely that Harper will reach that goal. Dallas Mavericks rookie phenom Cooper Flagg has lived up to the hype as the No. 1 pick for his growth as a scorer, athleticism and positional versatility in a dominant role. Harper has shot 46.1% from the field and 26.3% from 3 with 3.1 rebounds in 21.9 minutes per game off the bench. Harper also missed a combined 10 games while nursing a strained left calf (Nov. 5-23).

Amid that backdrop, an opposing Western Conference team executive said Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel has played the best out of his rookie class so far because of his “well-rounded game” with his scoring (19 points per game), shooting (47.2% overall, 40.5% from 3) and passing (3.5 assists). Although that executive believes Flagg will win the Rookie of the Year award for his scoring, defensive versatility and work ethic, he contended the Mavericks shouldn’t have featured Flagg in an unnatural playmaking role.

Nonetheless, the executive still considers Harper “the second-best player” in this season’s rookie class behind Flagg for his finishing, ability to absorb contact and pick-and-roll execution.

“He plays with force,” the executive told Athlon Sports about Harper. “He’s not afraid of the moment. He believes in himself, and he’s competitive.”

Technically, the Spurs have become a Western Conference contender mostly because of Wembanyama (25.8 points, 12.6 rebounds), Fox (23.9 points, 6.2 assists), Castle (18.4 points, 6.9 assists), sixth-year guard Devin Vassell (15.7 points) and veteran forward Harrison Barnes (13.2 points). Harper hasn’t just bided his team on a playoff-contending roster, though. He has helped the Spurs ensure such status by seamlessly complementing their talented backcourt with his sharp decision making, speed and work ethic.

“You add a talented guy like that, we don’t want you to come in here and try to be something that you’re not or try to do something that you’re not,” Fox said of Harper. “We want you to take the ball. We want you to get downhill, create for yourself and create a shot for somebody else.”

That’s telling considering the Spurs could have easily stressed a different message to their No. 2 pick.

They could have humbled Harper with their championship history. They could have told him to defer to their All-Star caliber point guard (Fox) and reigning Rookie of the Year (Castle). Yes, the Spurs have likely stressed Popovich’s long-held philosophy for players to get over themselves. Yet, the Spurs have also encouraged Harper to be himself because they already learned they can trust him.

“He’s got a great feel,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of Harper. “He continuously tries to make the right play. He lives in the paint. He’s very skilled. He finishes with both hands. He has great vision. I think as he continues to see patterns and pictures over time that he’s going to recognize things quicker and clearer.”

That process has happened quickly despite Harper’s 10-game absence and typical rookie adjustments, including the NBA’s extensive 82-game schedule, physicality and travel. That doesn’t seem to rattle Harper, though. Johnson described him as having “poise, composure and being wise beyond his years.”

Dylan Harper 2025-26 stats

Some of that traces to Harper’s family. Harper’s father, Ron, cemented a 15-year NBA career and became a valued two-way player on championship teams with the Chicago Bulls (1996-98) and Los Angeles Lakers (2000-01). Harper’s mother, Maria, has coached on various boys and girls prep teams, including at Dylan’s alma mater (Don Bosco in Ramsey, New Jersey). After the Spurs drafted him, Dylan noted that he’s “been around basketball probably since I was born.” Dylan also thanked his parents for their support through “thick and thin.”

Yet, Harper also forged his own path by prioritizing his own preparation. Just like in high school and during his freshman year in college at Rutgers, Harper said he has consistently studied game footage of himself, the Spurs and upcoming opponents. He never misses a pregame nap. He always trains at game speed. Instead of enjoying the visiting city’s nightlife, Harper said he often bonds with teammates at the team’s hotel over video games, card games and board games.

“My confidence comes from all the work that I put in,” Harper said. “I feel like I’m one of the hardest-working people. I know how much work I put in. But at the same time, you still have to be humble because of how quickly you can lose everything. Everything can go away. You have to have that mentality and mindset of being humble and not thinking that you’re better than anyone else.”

While Harper has humbled himself, the Spurs have elevated him. Harper’s coach (Johnson), veteran teammates (Fox, Barnes) and young contemporaries (Castle, Keldon Johnson) have all encouraged him to rely on his own instincts and not fret over missed shots or turnovers.

“It’s about making aggressive mistakes,” Barnes said. “He’s so talented, and he does so many different things. I think for him, it’s a matter of committing to what you’re going to do and knowing that you have everyone around you to support you.”

Harper has impressed the Spurs with how he has managed those dueling job descriptions. He looks comfortable playing at a fast or controlled pace. He seems to know when to look for his shot and when to look for his teammates. He doesn’t chase production. He chases improvement. 

Harper has done this amid varying developments. He played his first eight NBA games while Fox sat out with a strained right hamstring. He played in eight of the 12 games that Wembanyama missed with left calf tightness.

No matter. Harper joined Wembanyama, Duncan and David Robinson and Sean Elliott as the lone Spurs players to score at least 15 points in their NBA debut. Harper joined Wembanyama, Robinson and Willie Anderson as the lone players in franchise history to crack double digits in their first four games. And Harper joined Manu Ginóbili and Vassell as the lone Spurs players to open a season with at least seven consecutive double-digit performances off the bench.

“We have the same common goal: that’s to try to win,” Castle said. “So it kind of made it easy for us to click on the court. We want to see each other win. And just with our abilities with the ball, it’s kind of easy to play off each other. So I think when you like your teammates off the court, it makes it a lot easier to play with them.”

It makes it a lot easier to coach, too.

“Their commitment and excitement to play with each other is something that makes the job easier,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t feel like there is any push-pull effect. Or that we got to keep that guy happy or that guy happy. Or we’re looking at how many dribbles or shots or minutes.”

The Spurs have noticed, however, that Harper can share backcourt duties with anyone. The Spurs have averaged 113.5 points per 100 possessions in the 52 combined minutes that Harper and Fox played together in nine games. The Spurs have averaged 111.6 points per 100 possessions in the 76 combined minutes that Harper and Castle played together in nine games.

Harper attributed such chemistry to the Spurs’ environment that he described as “no ego.” The franchise’s past and current stars have perfected that quality with their unassuming personalities and team-oriented approach. The Spurs view Harper through the same lens.  

“It’s very fun just playing with guys that you know are going to play for each other, no matter what,” Harper said. “There are no egos. Just being in this winning environment, I wouldn’t want to get drafted anywhere else.”