Spurs must stop making Dylan Harper defend a bench role they don't even believe in

The Spurs apparently believe Dylan Harper is their second-best player right now. That's not fan opinion or a hot take. It's a revelation from the latest Hoop Collective. Brian Windhorst framed it as the belief held within the organization and shared by rival front offices. If that's the case, what were we doing all offseason?

Spurs Nation spent months debating a question they'd already answered

Had San Antonio stayed completely quiet, as per their SOP, this wouldn't be an issue. I wouldn't look at them side-eyed because no indications would have been given in either direction but think about how it was presented to us.

We were told that Harper would continue to come off the bench and that he was content with the decision. That he understood the pecking order and how everyone has to wait their turn. It was the story for months.

Now we're hearing that he and his camp would not be happy about a reserve role, and the Spurs supposedly think he's better than the two guards in front of him anyway. Well, then starting him is the obvious decision. It's not just the debates among fans they could have saved; Harper himself has had to repeatedly field questions about coming off the bench.

Why should he have to answer for something that the organization doesn't believe? Don't tell me they came to this conclusion yesterday. If they believe the former Rutgers guard is the Robin to Victor Wembanyama's Batman, they knew that in June. The Spurs could have nipped this discourse in the bud early.

There's no precedent for Harper's situation

The Manu Ginobili comparison always comes up in these discussions, and I've explored both sides of it myself, but it just doesn't hold. The Argentine dynamo went 57th overall. A number two pick arrives with different expectations, different leverage, different everything. When that top lottery selection walks into a championship-ready situation and immediately elevates to second-best, it changes the read.

The most honest comparisons we have for him are Kevin McHale and James Harden, and neither one fits either. McHale went third in 1980 and came off Boston's bench for five years, but he wasn't considered one of the Celtics' three best players until several seasons into his career.

Harden went third in 2009 and was the sixth man on a 2012 Finals team, except Russell Westbrook was the No. 2 at the time on that roster, before the Beard asked for a trade, seeking a starting role and more money.

Harper is a sophomore who averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds across 23 playoff games. That's almost three times as many postseason appearances as Giannis Antetokounmpo has played in the last four years, and he's already rated above everyone on the roster but Wemby. Nobody has been here. Which means the "wait your turn" argument doesn't hold water.

Figuring out the non-Wembanyama minutes will need to be worked out. Let Mitch Johnson handle that. The roster is certainly deep enough. But if you truly believe he's the second-best player, start him.

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