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Spurs’ Dylan Harper reaches Kawhi Leonard territory in Blazers closeout
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- Spurs’ Dylan Harper reaches Kawhi Leonard territory in Blazers closeout
Spurs' Dylan Harper reaches Kawhi Leonard territory in Blazers closeout appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
To draft Dylan Harper or not to: this was the question the San Antonio Spurs faced during the 2025 NBA Draft. Their lottery pick in 2024 in Stephon Castle was coming off a Rookie of the Year season, and they just gave De'Aaron Fox a huge contract extension. This meant that they would be bringing in Harper off the bench should they decide to draft him.
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Nonetheless, Harper's was simply too talented to pass up on, and even though he's been coming off the bench for the Spurs throughout the season, including in their 2026 NBA playoffs first-round matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers , that hasn't dampened his impact one bit.
In their 114-95 win over the Blazers in Game 5 to close out the series, the Spurs rookie guard put up 17 points on 6-9 shooting from the field to go along with three steals. This made Harper the first Spurs rookie to record at least 15 points and three steals in a playoff game since Kawhi Leonard accomplished the feat in 2012, as pointed out by StatMuse on X (formerly Twitter).
Harper's production in this year's playoffs has been hit or miss, which should not be a surprise considering that he's a rookie point guard who's coming off the bench. But Harper already proved his worth and then some back in Game 3, when he recorded 27 points on 9-12 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds and three assists in a much-needed comeback victory amid Victor Wembanyama 's absence.
Learning behind Fox in the rotation has to be an incredible privilege for Harper, as there's no pressure for him to be superstar-level consistent when it's just his first season in the NBA.
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Harper has a bright future ahead of him, and it's clear that the Spurs have a succession plan in place once Harper is ready to seize the mantle. But for now, the Spurs are enjoying their excellent guard depth, with Harper being a huge X-factor for the team on any given night.
Related: What Spurs' Victor Wembanyama said about Giannis trade rumors without even saying his name
Related: Spurs-Kings trade was godsend for De'Aaron Fox, who finally gets playoff monkey off back
