Dylan Harper's early career flashes scream superstar potential to Spurs

By now, the San Antonio Spurs' best-kept secret is out of the bag. Dylan Harper is a star in the making. It's hard for a second overall pick to fly under the radar, but with him averaging fewer than 23 minutes a game this season, he actually did. 

However, that's no longer the case. NBA fans are starting to catch on to what Spurs fans have been saying all season: Castle looks like a future superstar. 

In fact, had he been on a worse team, he likely would have been in contention to win Rookie of the Year. Instead, he may have to "settle" for winning a championship. 

Dylan Harper is a superstar in the making for the Spurs

San Antonio adding Harper to a team that already had De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle gives them an almost unfair advantage. The Spurs' advantage is that they have three above average point guards, with Harper arguably being the most talented.

Better still, San Antonio has two of those players on rookie scale deals. That potentially allows them to keep the core of Victor Wembanyama, Fox, Castle, and Harper together for four seasons, including this one. 

Even if the Spurs have to eventually move on from Fox, they have a player who is arguably already better in Harper. Judging by how the playoffs have unfolded thus far, the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves would likely agree. 

Harper cooked the Trail Blazers for 27 points off the bench, helping San Antonio pick up a crucial Game 3 win on the road. 

Dylan Harper may be the Manu Ginobili of this Spurs team

Against the Timberwolves, he routinely got downhill and finished effortlessly at the rim, making their defense look non-existent at times. Having a player who can come off the bench and carve up opposing teams is a luxury that few teams have. 

Better yet, Harper is just 20 years old and is rapidly improving. For instance, his 3-point shooting has dramatically improved since the All-Star break, with him drilling 45.2% of his 3-point attempts, including the playoffs. 

If he can be an above-average shooter, then he could soon join rarified air. There are only a few players in the NBA who can attack the basket like he can and shoot like he has. 

If that is a sign of things to come, Harper could be an all-NBA-caliber point guard to pair with Wembanyama. While Spurs Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili was never an All-NBA player, he was certainly playing at that level for a part of his career. 

Harper is the closest thing the Spurs have to Ginobili now, but his ceiling could be even higher than what Ginobili became. San Antonio hopes that is the case because that could mean they may dominate the NBA for the foreseeable future. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow