Spurs have quietly put Dylan Harper in the perfect role to succeed

Letting the Spurs land Dylan Harper was the nail in the coffin for the future of the league. San Antonio has three young bona fide star-in-the-making-level hoopers in their core (well, Victor Wembanyama is already a superstar, but that's not the point). The 2025 NBA Draft's number two overall pick will have every chance to reach his potential because of San Antonio's approach. It couldn't be more ideal.

When Harper played at Rutgers, he had way too much responsibility. It was by necessity. He may have had Ace Bailey as a running mate, but outside of those two, that team has a serious talent deficit. Their spacing was poor because their shooters were lacking, and that forced their highly skilled point guard to play in a phone booth. He doesn't have to do any of that anymore.

The Spurs have the most guard-friendly system in the league right now. The roster construction allows one to thrive if they bring the right mindset. That seems to be the easy part for Harper.

Harper is allowed to shine in the spotlight but struggle in silence

Did you realize that D. Harp hasn't made a single three-point attempt in four games heading into the Utah meeting? Some of you did, but I'm sure most people didn't because nobody has been talking about it. He's not forced to bear the burden of an unforgiving magnifying glass, picking apart everything he does.

When he performs well, he's on Main Street, and adulation is bountiful. The same scrutiny isn't leveled his way when he struggles. That's by design.

The team is doing too well as a whole to get caught up in the inconsistent shooting of an obviously talented young guard. De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and even Victor Wembanyama are all above Harper in the pecking order, and with the experience of Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Harrison Barnes out there, those guys are going to get a side-eye long before anyone bats one at Harper.

That's the best environment to play in. He's getting meaningful minutes on a title contender at a young age. San Antonio has been known for their elite player development for decades. That reputation was being called into question last year, as it felt as though several players were underperforming. It took absolutely no time at all for those doubts to vanish.

Vassell, Johnson, Champagnie, Castle, and Wembanyama have all grown into better players in the Spurs' program. They all had to do it with more eyes criticizing their every move. Harper gets all of the benefits with much less angst. That sounds like the perfect situation to me.