With 21 points in a 136-11 loss to the Miami Heat, the San Antonio Spurs' Dylan Harper accomplished a feat in his basketball career, though it was not common during his NBA rookie season: back-to-back 20-point games.
"This is my...this is my first 20-point back-to-back games?" Harper asked in response to a question about scoring more than 20 in consecutive games.
When told he scored 20 or more points in a game eight times, the 20-year-old guard didn't say much more.
"Oh, wow," Harper said. "Oh wow."
The second overall pick of this summer's draft averaged 19.4 points per game in his only season with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. While other players in the draft class, like former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, are hitting those numbers as pros, Harper is averaging just 11.5 points per game this season on a team that holds the second-best record in the West and is equipped with quality depth on the wings.
“We are winning,” Harper said. “The best thing about this league, for me, coming to a team where even though I'm not scoring 20 every night, I get to learn from a great vet, [De'Aaron] Fox, who obviously has been in the league, two-time All-Star, and all that. So, I get to learn from someone like him and be aggressive as well as take a back seat.”
Along with Fox, the Spurs rotation includes Rookie of the Year Stephen Cassel as well as Devin Vassell, who has averaged nearly 19 points per game in two different seasons.
"Yeah, I'm finding my stride, but I think having Steph back and Dev coming back has made the game a lot easier for me," Harper said. "So much space on the floor. We have a lot of threats, so it really picks my poison. They do a great job of encouraging me to just be me and get off the ball, find open shooters. But if it's one-on-one, attack.
"So, to be honest, scoring 20 is not the main thing. The main thing for me is just to win. And, as long as we win, I am fine."
Dylan Harper is happy to be a member of the San Antonio Spurs
Although his stats are lower than he's used to, the son of former NBA great Ron Harper has a definite opinion on his current role.
"I wouldn't trade it for anything," Harper said. "I've been hired into a great organization that teaches you the game at a high level, and I think even in a game like this where the numbers may look good, I'm still watching film, still getting yelled at like any other game. It's a testament to the kind of standard we're all held to, but I love it. I feel like I'm getting better day by day, whether it's watching film or on the court."
Not only does San Antonio see Harper as a big part of their success this season, but the Spurs also see him as a big part of the future centered around MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama.
"I think one thing about us is that we're all competitive, and we're relentless. No matter what the score is, I think we have a great group of guys that compete at a high level all the time," Harper continued. "This team can do miracles; there's a lot of potential, but we're trying to take it day by day, step by step, not skipping any steps. The sky's the limit."
