Dylan Harper's shooting growth can unlock lethal two-man game with Victor Wembanyama

Dylan Harper's set to make a massive leap in his second season with the San Antonio Spurs after putting on one of the most impressive rookie playoff performances in recent memory. Of course, he has a checklist of things to improve on, one of those being his off-the-dribble three-point shooting. Honing in on this area will unlock a lethal two-man game with Victor Wembanyama.

Harper was already a tough cover for opponents last season. Few players in the league were better than him at getting to the paint and finishing over or around defenders. He paired his elite athleticism with veteran-like footwork and body control to score inside and elevate the Spurs' offense.

But it's obvious he still has some ways to go as a long-distance threat. Being able to create his own looks from beyond the arc will make him even tougher to guard and optimize his chemistry with Wembanyama.

Harper and Wembanyama pick-and-rolls could become one of Spurs' most dangerous weapons

As Harper's minutes will likely increase this season, we'll see even more of his chemistry with Wembanyama. These two will be a lethal pairing, especially if they run a high volume of pick-and-rolls together.

Harper's growth as a shooter will be a driving force behind how effective this two-man game is. Defenders wouldn't be able to go under screens to contain him, so if they decide to switch, it would create mismatches. He can score on bigs who step out to the perimeter, or feed Wemby if he gets picked up by a smaller player.

Opponents could also choose to blitz Harper on those actions to keep him from turning the corner and firing up threes. This would give the Spurs a 4-on-3 advantage on the backend, and if Wemby's available in the middle of the floor, he could make plays as a scorer or distributor in the short roll.

Harper has already shown flashes of greatness in this area

Luckily, Harper has already given us a taste of his ability to knock down long-range shots off the dribble. We saw it in the playoffs, especially in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, where he drained a huge clutch jumper against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Now it's time for him to prove that he can consistently do that in a bigger role for an entire 82-game season. We've seen the potential, but at this point, he must step up once he's featured more prominently in the Spurs' lineup.

Perfecting this area of his game doesn't just take Harper to the next level; it does wonders for this team's offense by adding a lethal two-man attack between some of their biggest stars.

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