The NBA Draft Combine is over, and final reports are coming out; Dylan Harper has his NBA comparison as Cade Cunningham. Spurs Nation was in shambles last season after another 22-60 year. If you asked the average fan, everyone was on the trade block except Victor Wembanyama. A common name on the new player wishlist was Cunningham, but Detroit was never trading him.
Fortunately, San Antonio didn't have to trade for him. The Pistons took a massive leap this year, and Cade was the driving force behind that. It's nice to see Motown City make a comeback, so that's fine.
On the other side of it, the Spurs landed the number two overall draft pick, and as evaluations continue to pour into the ethos, the consensus takeaway seems to be that Harper has only put more and more distance between himself and whoever the number three pick will be.
Harper can be better than Cade Cunningham
The Pistons franchise guard shot 40% from three during his only year in college, so it was baffling when he got to the league and could only muster 31%. I didn't expect him to hit the exact same mark, but league average would have been acceptable. He just finished his fourth year, and while he's improved as a player overall, he hasn't reached the league average from three yet (36.5%).
That lack of shooting from their best player hurt them when they played the Knicks in the playoffs. Interestingly enough, New York's franchise player is the other player that Jonathan Wasserman compared Harper to in his mock draft: Jalen Brunson.
Brunson and Cunningham can both do one thing very well, and that's drive the basketball. They get into the paint and wreak havoc on defenses with their ability to get their shots off or find the open teammate. They're both top-tier decision-makers and know what their team needs in a given moment, recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of the players on the floor with them.
Brunson is a better three-point shooter, but he's always had that skill. He spent three seasons in college, where he averaged 39% from deep. The Villanova star transitioned to the league and has maintained a 38% three-point percentage over his seven-year career. He's been tremendous in his career, and if Harper turned into that, the Spurs would be very happy.
I've spoken about their shooting because that's what it seems people are most worried about when discussing Dylan Harper and his fit next to Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox. I don't share the same concerns. Harper shot well on catch-and-shoots, and the offense involves enough ball movement to allow different players multiple opportunities to get going throughout a game.
Playing next to Victor Wembanyama, Fox, and Castle will allow Harper to come along at a rapid but steady pace. He's an intelligent player who will take advantage of his opportunities, and his teammates will encourage him to do so just as they did with Castle. The result could be similar to another player Harper compared himself to: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Wouldn't that be grand?