Dylan Harper’s fit with Spurs, NBA comparisons, family history

Two years ago, the Basketball Gods bestowed a once-in-a-generation gift upon the San Antonio Spurs, giving them the top pick in the NBA Draft the year that Victor Wembanyama was going pro. Last season, the Spurs picked fourth and selected Stephon Castle, who went on to be the Rookie of the Year.

The Basketball Gods were not done blessing the Spurs — they landed the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft and are widely expected to select Dylan Harper, the 6’6″ point guard out of Rutgers. (There is a very slim chance they trade the pick, but it would need to be for an established superstar, and that does not appear close to happening.)

How will Harper fit with the Spurs? Who does his game remind scouts of? Let’s break it all down.

Harper’s fit in San Antonio

Outside his camp, there was speculation that Dylan Harper was not thrilled about going to San Antonio because it already has a roster deep with quality guards. This is a team that traded for De’Aaron Fox at the last trade deadline to pair with Wembanyama, and a year ago drafted combo guard Castle to be part of their future backcourt. He went on to average 14.7 points and 4.1 assists per game, winning Rookie of the Year.

When asked about it by ESPN, Harper said he was excited to play with Wembanyama and Castle.

“I mean, that would definitely be great and I would definitely be blessed to have that opportunity just because they’re two young players, young stars, and the rest of the team from top to bottom is really good so when you get to play with better players and the best of the best, it just brings out your best game.”

Where does Harper fit in with all that talent?

From San Antonio’s perspective, this is an easy call — always take the best player on the board, and Harper is the clear second-best player in this draft. Teams that make picks based on positional need end up saying things like “We don’t need Luka Doncic, we have Fox” or “We don’t need Michael Jordan, we have Clyde Drexler.” Take the best player, figure it out, and, if necessary, make a trade later. The Spurs are nothing if not the most patient organization in the league.

Harper is a combo guard in the Castle mold, and a lot of scouts think Harper will be better at it. Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4 assists a game shooting an impressive 48% from the floor last season, and he demonstrated a fantastic feel for the game. Harper is not a classically explosive player, but his ability to get to the rim and finish or dish to the open man should pair beautifully with Wemby, as well as with players on the wing such as Devin Vassell. If Harper and Wembanyama start to show a real chemistry — and they are on the same age timeline — then the Spurs can lean into that and adjust as needed.

One thing to watch: None of Harper, Fox or Castle are great outside shooters. Whichever one of them develops that shot — especially a catch-and-shoot look — is going to have a huge advantage in getting minutes this season and into the future.

Dylan Harper’s NBA Comparison

Ask people around the league about Harper comparisons and two names come up.

Cade Cunningham. The Detroit Pistons’ point guard, who made a leap to All-NBA this season, is another tall player for the position who is not an explosive athlete but can get to the rim and get to his spots on the floor, then knock down the shot. Some scouts made note of how Harper struggled at points at Rutgers when teams packed the paint, and think that goes away with the better floor spacing in the NBA (especially compared to Rutgers). Like Cunningham, Harper can play some off the ball and makes tough shots.

James Harden. Harper isn’t as strong or quite as athletic as the former MVP, but his ability to get to his spot, make tough shots and bend the defense to his will is similar. The one thing Harper has over Harden? He tries hard defensively. Harper is no elite defender, but the effort is there and he’s not an easy target on that end.

Dylan Harper’s father, brother

Dylan Harper enters the NBA with an impressive basketball pedigree. His father is Ron Harper Sr., the No. 8 pick in the 1986 NBA Draft who went on to play 15 seasons in the league and win five championships, four with the Jordan-era Chicago Bulls and one with the Shaq/Kobe Lakers. Don’t forget about his mother, Maria, who played college ball at New Orleans and is a basketball coach to this day — she is the one who taught Dylan the game.

Dylan’s older brother, Ron Harper Jr., also played at Rutgers and has bounced between the G-League and the NBA the past three years, playing in 11 NBA games (this past season he played a game for the Pistons). Dylan also has a younger sister, Mia, who is still in high school.