The biggest Dylan Harper argument of the offseason doesn't need a winner

Dylan Harper is the early favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year next season, according to FanDuel. Everyone who watched the playoffs knows how talented this kid is, so that's not a complete surprise, but at the same time, he's still only going to be 21 years old in his second season. Winning that award would be one thing, but being favored before the year begins is a little crazy.

But if he wins it, I think it somewhat justifies both sides of the biggest argument fans have had about Harper this offseason: should the 2025 number-two overall pick start immediately or come off the bench for a while? But the opposing views aren't as contradictory as they seem.

If Harper has the sophomore season many expect and wins the 6MOY award, it's the best outcome for San Antonio and proves both sides right.

Harper can be a starting-caliber player without starting

Those who want the ex-Rutgers star to open games next to Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle aren't wrong. Harper has the talent to start for most teams in the NBA right now, and he's arguably already one of the Spurs' five best players. His performances during that playoff run were just undeniably awesome. The argument goes further than that, though.

Dylan was a deeply respected prospect. Plenty believed he was the most NBA-ready in the class with the ceiling just as high as Cooper Flagg's. He has the size, the playmaking, and he very clearly has long-term importance to the franchise. Under normal circumstances, the expectation is that the elite talent should earn the starting nod. But these aren't normal circumstances.

There are beasts all over the court, so being good enough to start and actually starting won't be the same thing. This franchise is chasing a championship, and that requires sacrifice. Harper isn't giving up anything major, though.

Winning Sixth Man would prove the Spurs handled Harper perfectly

In order to win this award, Johnson will have to first make sure his sophomore star is on the floor enough. Manu Ginobili averaged 29 minutes a night in his second season and somewhere between 27 and 30 for his entire prime as the team's sixth man. Harper could be in line for something close to that.

Last season, Fox averaged the most minutes per game, but the number wasn't very high (31). Minute distribution has already been a focal point for this team since their roster was fairly deep last season. It's deeper now, so time shared will be divided as a whole, but Harper should still see an increase in workload.

If he lives up to the expectations surrounding him, Spurs fans who believe he deserves a starting job will have plenty of evidence to support their case. However, if he's also holding the Sixth Man of the Year trophy when the season ends, it will be just as strong a sign that Coach Johnson made the right decision all along.

That won't necessarily settle these debates, but it will validate both sides.

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