Dylan Harper's rebounding is an underrated booster the Spurs can weaponize

Among all the things he excels at, Dylan Harper's rebounding is one of the most important parts of his game. With more playing time next season, he can set a strong tone in that area for San Antonio. That should be a major point of emphasis for the team; after their Finals loss, no one should understand the value of competing on the boards quite like them.

We all remember it vividly. Despite losing a massive lead in Game 4 against the Knicks, the Spurs were just one stop away from winning in Madison Square Garden to tie the series 2-2. They did a good job contesting a deep three-pointer from Jalen Brunson but failed to keep OG Anunoby from flying in for the most dramatic rebound putback in NBA history.

This had to haunt Spurs fans for months, and they're probably still not over it. But this team should be even more motivated to dominate the glass next season. With increased minutes, Dylan Harper can help lead that effort.

Dylan Harper's rebounding will be one of the Spurs' most lethal weapons

It can't be emphasized enough: defensive rebounding is one of the most important elements of the game. What's the point of working relentlessly on that end to force a missed shot if you can't secure the ball? This sort of thing has killed teams time and time again in big regular-season and playoff games.

San Antonio knows that experience firsthand, but after adding some new big bodies to their roster, those problems shouldn't arise anymore. It's also a huge luxury to have a guard like Harper who can go down amongst the trees and snag the ball off the rim.

When given the right amount of playing time, Dylan can be one of the best rebounding point guards in the league. We saw it during the Finals, where he averaged 6.4 boards in 31 minutes per game. That's quite an impressive mark for his position.

To make his production more impressive, he joined Magic Johnson as the only guard with multiple 20+ point, 10+ rebound playoff games before turning 21. His competency in that area will help San Antonio close out high-stakes defensive possessions in some of their biggest matchups next season.

His dominance on the boards is also perfect for the Spurs' offense

Not only will Harper's rebounding prowess help San Antonio on defense, but it'll also boost their scoring attack. He can do his best Russell Westbrook impersonation by snatching boards and pushing the ball upcourt, taking it coast to coast himself or kicking it ahead to teammates.

It'll open up easy, efficient scoring opportunities for players like Stephon Castle, Victor Wembanyama, and others who can get up and down the floor in transition.

This element of Dylan Harper's game could end up being one of the most important for San Antonio. Avenging their Finals loss means cleaning up their mistakes on that stage, and the second-year guard will be a huge part of that.

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