Tim Duncan's stance on Dylan Harper perfectly nails the rookie

During Memphis' second whooping of the season at the hands of the Spurs, longtime broadcaster and San Antonio champion Sean Elliott shared the text message he got from the greatest power forward of all time, Tim Duncan, about the second overall pick.

It's safe to say that his assertion is shared by the rest of the NBA. Every time anyone sees this kid play, they express nothing but excitement about the possibilities. He dropped 15 points and six assists in 21 minutes on 5/10 FG. He looked as smooth as ever, challenging a giant Zach Edey at the rim and winning multiple times.

No one player deserves credit for the win over the Grizzlies, but that's been the story of the Spurs' season. Everything they do is a total team effort, and you could see how much camaraderie they have in Harrison Barnes' on-court interview after the game. So, instead of trying to assign credit, let's just talk about who Timmy D and all of Spurs Nation are excited about.

Dylan Harper still has a chance to win ROY if he keeps playing like this

I'm one of the most optimistic people you'll ever meet or read, but I'm also practical. Winning this award will be an uphill battle. Kon Knueppel has raced out to a major lead in the eyes of the voters. He's been on fire, and he competes hard every night. If you saw his recent quote about winning and effort, you know that the Hornets have a real player on their hands. He has the right stuff.

The former Blue Devil isn't the only rookie standing in the way of history, though. Cooper Flagg has gotten it together and has begun to play like the player everyone knows he can be. Cedric Coward has made strides already in his young career. The Spurs just saw him last night. He's got all the potential in the world, the NBA body, versatile skills, and he plays with grit.

Derik Queen and VJ Edgecombe can't be tossed aside either. All of these young guys are talented and will make it difficult for Harper to pass them up, but the son of Ron Harper Jr. has something that nobody else has. A father who played in the league. He's been around the NBA all of his life, so as the season wanes, I don't expect him to fall off.

When rookies enter the league, they can sometimes fall off after a few months. They've never played so many games in one season, so the fatigue hits them faster than others. I can't imagine that happening to Harper. He's likely very well-conditioned, understanding what he has to put his body through to make a statement through the entire season, without dropping off in spurts.

So, when Kon and Cooper Flagg slow down, D. Harp must hit the gas. It will take a Herculean effort to pull off three consecutive Rookie of the Year winners in San Antonio, but I don't think we've seen anything in Harper's game that makes you think that he isn't capable of that. He's strong, poised, and plays with a high IQ, or you can sum it all up as Tim Duncan did, and just say "he's a stud," because it's true.