The San Antonio Spurs received an absolute blessing in the NBA Draft lottery, cementing themselves in the thick of things with the second overall pick. The jump was extremely unexpected and not exactly deserved, but here we are.
The Spurs have an opportunity to transform the franchise's future with the pick. It will more than likely be in the form of Dylan Harper, a freshman sensation from Rutgers. Harper has all of the makings of a superstar, but his success is not for certain. He will have to work his tail off to live up to the expectations of the ever-so-valuable second overall pick.
The second overall pick is historically great
Harper has a lot riding on him. The second overall pick is nothing to play around with. Throughout the history of the NBA, we have seen numerous Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers taken with the second overall pick. These players set the bar high for the blossoming point guard.
In the current era, Chet Holmgren was taken second in 2022 and is now a core member of the projected NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. There is a good chance that Holmgren finishes his career with multiple All-Star appearances and championship rings.
Meanwhile, Ja Morant, taken second overall in 2019, has been electric when on the court and has superstar potential. Harper will most certainly be compared to Morant for his entire career, as they are both point guards selected behind a greater prospect at 1.
Among the crowd are NBA greats such as Kevin Durant, Jason Kidd, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Gary Payton. These players have legacies that can not be withdrawn from the NBA story created with the second overall pick.
With these players in mind, the bar couldn't be higher, and all eyes will be on Harper to see if he can be one of the best second overall picks in NBA history.
Lets hope Harper doesn't end up like this
While there is a laundry list of excellent second overall selections, there have been some rough ones, too. There is no certainty that Harper will land in the all-timers group, so if the NBA gods are not in his favor, Harper can end up with the poor fortune of many former second overall picks.
Among this lowly group are historic draft busts such as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Darko Miličić, and Emeka Okafor. While it's hard to imagine Harper being one of the worst picks of all time, anything is possible.
In recent years, we saw James Wiseman go ahead of LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Haliburton in the 2020 draft, and Marvin Bagley picked ahead of none other than Luka Doncic in 2018. These franchises are still kicking themselves for these draft-day mistakes.
Don't forget that every second overall pick carries the exact same expectations, but these players were massive busts. Every second-round pick was there for a reason; they just simply did not work out. There is no certainty that Harper will end up as one of the best second-overall picks ever. We can only hope that he does.