It feels like a lifetime ago, but it's actually only been three weeks since San Antonio Spurs rookie Dylan Harper became the youngest player in history to score 25 points off the bench in a playoff game. He did it in Game 3 against the Portland Trail Blazers in what was a monumental moment for these Spurs, who were tied 1-1 against the No. 7 seed and down 15 points in the third quarter.
Signature Moment Over Robert Williams
You probably remember the game, or at least the baseline dunk Harper threw down over Robert Williams — Harper's first of what is sure to be a long list of signature postseason moments. Portland's Scoot Henderson, having a signature game himself, got caught up in the duel and decided it was a good idea to talk trash to Harper. It wasn't.
Harper proceeded to score 22 of his 25 points in the second half. He hit four of five 3s and five of his seven shots as the Spurs rallied for the victory.
"I got to shout out Dylan [Harper] though," Spurs guard Devin Vassell said after that win. "... To come in with that type of confidence, he doesn't start. He never complaints. Scoot Henderson starts talking to him and the next thing you know, it's like he woke up a monster."
The Making of a Monster
Those who have watched Harper all season have known that monster was bound to come out. You saw it all year. The poise. The physicality. The elite creation and transition force. The shooting coming around rapidly. Only on a team as stacked as the Spurs would he not be the starting point guard right now.
That this guy is coming off the bench for San Antonio speaks to the talent of a team that, after defeating the Timberwolves 126-97 to take a 3-2 series lead on Tuesday night, is now one win away from the conference finals showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder that just about everyone projected coming into these playoffs.
Veteran-Like Compoaasure in Rookie Body
Harper only had 12 points on Tuesday, but man, was he impressive in his 25 minutes as a plus-13. The skills are one thing, but it's Harper's solidness, for lack of a better word, that makes it almost impossible to believe he's a rookie. He's poised. He's physical. He meets you in the air as a finisher, and it's not him who ends up going backward.
If you woke up from a coma and someone told you this dude wearing No. 2 for the Spurs was a 10-year vet, you'd believe it.
The bag is one thing. But this here is a man's work. That is Julius Randle, a tank of a 31-year-old man, that 20-year-old Harper went right through for that put-back. Harper's size is a big reason why he's destined for superstardom. Think Jalen Brunson's craft but 6-foot-6 and a give-a-damn defender.
Jack of All Trades
But right now, Harper isn't afforded the usage rate of a Brunson. Right now, he has to be a jack of all trades, and it's his ability to contribute all over the box score and thrive off the ball that is making him such an asset in these playoffs.
Yes, Harper is going to be San Antonio's starting point guard very soon and for a very long time, but right now he needs to coexist with De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, both of whom require the ball more to make their maximum impact, in a more secondary, albeit rapidly growing role.
These three-guard lineups only work if one of them can do a bunch of ancillary stuff, and Harper is suited for the job with his ability to offensive rebound, push and finish in transition — where he's already operating like an All-Star — and attack the paint against scattered defenses consumed by Victor Wembanyama's multi-layered gravity and all the other threats the Spurs have on the floor.
Playoff History Maker
You need him to score? Cool. He has the most points of any bench player in these playoffs (136 points). You need him to rebound? No problem. He had five offensive boards on Tuesday and is the first rookie guard in history to record multiple 10-point, 10-rebound playoff games.
You need him to defend? Check him out as he fights over this screen and still gets back in front of Anthony Edwards to choke off the possession.