Bill Simmons perfectly sums up Dylan Harper's future in a single word

The Ringer's Bill Simmons is one of Dylan Harper's biggest fans, but his recent comments about the San Antonio Spurs guard are sure to raise eyebrows. Recently, Simmons once again lavished praise on Harper, calling him "a prodigy."

He likely won't get any pushback from Spurs fans who no doubt see Harper the same way. The kid is special, and his playoff performance proves it.

Despite the Spurs going up against a gauntlet of top-12-ranked defenses, Harper had little problem scoring. He averaged an impressive 19 points per 36 minutes on terrific efficiency off the bench.

He also averaged 18.0 points per game against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. In fact, I'd argue that he was the third-best player in that series behind Jalen Brunson and Victor Wembanyama.

Bill Simmons is 100% spot on about Dylan Harper's potential

With more opportunity next season, Harper has the chance to prove Simmons and Spurs fans right about his potential. The Spurs will no doubt look to feature Harper more next season, building on his strong rookie year.

Playing him at least 30 minutes per game off the bench would be a great start. As a rookie, he averaged just 22.6 minutes during the regular season and only 26.7 minutes during the playoffs, leading some to question coach Mitch Johnson.

Johnson is justified continuing to have Harper come off the bench, but he should lean more into his point guard trio by playing all three at least 30 minutes per game. More minutes mean more opportunities.

The Spurs' Dylan Harper has superstar potential

If he sees a dramatic increase in playing time, he could very well win Sixth Man of the Year while beating out reigning winner and teammate Keldon Johnson. Not only that but he could be in line for Most Improved Player if his production takes a huge leap.

Something in the ballpark of 16.5 points, 5 assists, and 5.5 rebounds would make him a potential shoo-in for both awards. More importantly, it could give San Antonio a massive boost.

If De'Aaron Fox can't be a 1A co-star to Wembanyama, then the Spurs will need to rely more on Stephon Castle and Harper to help shoulder the scoring load. Both players are fully capable of making big leaps next season, as is Wembanyama for that matter.

However, I'd argue that Harper could have the biggest jump next season. The Spurs are no doubt counting on him quickly emerging as a superstar and proving Simmons and Spurs fans right.

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