De'Aaron Fox's disaster taught Spurs a very important Dylan Harper lesson

The San Antonio Spurs fell short in the 2026 NBA Finals, losing to the New York Knicks in five games. And since the end of the Finals, De’Aaron Fox has been a hot-button topic. But while Fox’s brutal offense was a top storyline, he did teach the Spurs a bit about how to best utilize Dylan Harper moving forward.

By the end of the Finals, it seemed clear that Harper needed the ball more than Fox, especially in the closing moments of games. Yet Fox kept getting the ball, likely because he was supposed to be San Antonio’s steady hand. The veteran presence. But now, the Spurs know that Harper should have the ball, but also that he needs shooting and playmaking around him.

Now, the Spurs can optimize the way they play around Harper.

De'Aaron Fox struggles showed Spurs how to optimize around Dylan Harper

Obviously, Victor Wembanyama is the best player on the Spurs. San Antonio needs to optimize for what he needs. But it’s quickly becoming clear that Harper may be just as important.

During the Spurs’ Finals run, Harper had some incredible moments. At times, he looked like the Spurs’ best offensive creator. He might have actually been the Spurs’ best creator.

Yet again, when the games were on the line and the Spurs needed buckets, it felt like Fox had the ball more than Harper. Maybe that’s why he was supposedly upset with his role and playing time by the end of the year.

When he’s at his best, Harper has the ball in his hands and is looking to get downhill. He’s elite at getting to the rim, and once he’s there, he’s great at finishing.

That said, Fox did provide the Spurs with some much-needed playmaking. He was the best passer on the floor for San Antonio at times, and Harper may need some playmaking alongside him.

The other thing that could be improved is the three-point shooting. If Harper was playing alongside a guard who is a bit more consistent from beyond the three-point arc than Fox is, that would be helpful.

The point is, as the Spurs look to move forward with this current core, it’s clear that Harper is the type of player who should have the ball in his hands a lot.

He needs to lead the way for the Spurs as a ball-handler. As a downhill driver. As a creator. And he needs the best possible setting to do so.

So, for as brutal as Fox’s struggles were, they did help the Spurs learn a bit about how to optimize things around Harper.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow