After an impressive rookie season for the San Antonio Spurs, the sky is the limit for Dylan Harper. He is one of the most gifted athletes on the Spurs roster, which bodes well for the long-term future.
Considering the Spurs already have Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama, the franchise looks set for the next decade. Apart from their skills and statistics, they also have physical gifts. For Wembanyama, it’s his unreal height, and with Harper and Castle, it’s their otherworldly athleticism.
Dylan Harper is coming into the 2026-27 season with more athleticism
Harper became a regular in the Spurs rotation by being one of their best offensive players. He might have been a rookie, but he had a natural talent to slash into the paint and finish with either hand.
This was especially effective during the 2026 Playoffs when games slowed down. Despite being a rookie, Harper was scoring over some of the league’s best defenders in the highest-pressure situations.
MORE: Dylan Harper speaks on how Gregg Popovich has helped him grow
With his natural talent, he can already beat his defenders. However, it gets even better when he utilizes his elite athleticism to get past them. Ahead of the 2026-27 season, it looks like Harper has become even more athletic during the summer.
“Dylan followed up an impressive rookie season by posting a 99th percentile ranking for lateral force production. One focus of his offseason training was building stiffness and awareness through the foot and ankle,” Harper’s trainer Nick Potthoff said on Instagram, detailing the Spurs guard’s offseason progress.
With the targeted workouts he has been doing, Harper looks set to become even more athletic. That explosiveness will help him finish in the paint better against rim protectors, but he can also be faster to get past his defenders.
Harper is not letting his foot off the gas with his progress. He knows that his future is bright, so he is making sure that he can be an even better player in his second year.
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