{"id":149011,"date":"2025-09-11T13:28:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T13:28:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/149011\/"},"modified":"2025-09-11T13:28:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T13:28:07","slug":"what-to-expect-from-each-spurs-rookie-in-2025-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/149011\/","title":{"rendered":"What To Expect From Each Spurs Rookie In 2025-26"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looking back at their offseason, the San Antonio Spurs had a successful draft<\/a> and saw bright flashes from their rookies in the Summer League, each of whom adds to the roster\u2019s collective talent. However, no prospect is flawless, and there will be areas in their game that need polishing. So, as the season approaches, it\u2019s important to identify what each rookie needs to work on and to set the bar for their inaugural season. Spurs fans, executives, players and even media will hope that by the end of the coming season, their rookie class makes recognizable progress in meeting those expectations.<\/p>\n

With the 2025-26 season nearing tip-off, here\u2019s one expectation for every Spurs rookie.<\/p>\n

Setting Expectations For Each Spurs Rookie In 2025-26 Season
\nDylan Harper
\nExpectation: Harper Improves Playing Off The Ball<\/p>\n

With the 2nd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Spurs selected Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper<\/a>. While he didn\u2019t play much at Summer League, he obviously put his strengths on display in college.<\/p>\n

As a prospect, the 6-foot-6 guard excelled in an on-ball role<\/a>, serving as his team\u2019s primary offensive initiator. He\u2019s particularly skilled as both a finisher and facilitator, using his on-ball skills to break down defenses. Specifically, he possesses the handle, strength, and craftiness to slash through the paint with excellent efficiency, giving him strong interior scoring ability. Those same qualities translate to his playmaking role, as he can collapse defenses and create open looks for others.<\/p>\n

What should be clear about Harper is that while he is immensely talented and operates better with the ball in his hands. However, considering that San Antonio already had De\u2019Aaron Fox<\/a>, Stephon Castle<\/a>\u00a0and Devin Vassell<\/a>\u00a0in the backcourt, there will be times when Harper will have to play off-ball. With that in mind, though Harper is a three-level scorer, he isn\u2019t the most consistent outside shooter. Indeed, he only shot 33.3 percent from beyond the arc at Rutgers. Consequently, it\u2019s critical for Harper to make strides with his 3-ball.<\/p>\n

Entering the NBA, he already has the basketball IQ and feel for the game to be a connective playmaker. If he can improve his jumper, it will go a long way in terms of his fit with the Spurs core. As Harper recovers from his finger injury<\/a>, he probably won\u2019t be available for opening night. Nonetheless, he can still take this season to get better at playing off-ball.<\/p>\n

\"SanJun 28, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio first round draft picks Carter Bryant (left) and Dylan Harper answer questions during the Spurs Family Cookout at Victory Capital Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
\nCarter Bryant
\nExpectation: Bryant Becoming A More Consistent Three-Point Shooter<\/p>\n

The Spurs had a second lottery pick in the latest NBA Draft, using the 14th overall pick on Arizona freshma Carter Bryant<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Among all the players in this past draft, the 6-foot-8 forward was one of the better 3-and-D prospects<\/a>. Not only a long body (with a near seven-foot wingspan) but agile and assertive, he can guard multiple positions, his switchability enhancing his overall value. Additionally, Bryant is great at using his physical tools to be an event-creator on defense rather than only a ball-stopper. His defense was clearly shown at Summer League, as he contended with tough assignments and succeeded.<\/p>\n

Offensively, Bryant isn\u2019t quite as electrifying. However, he has shown that he is a solid shooter and off-ball cutter. In fact, he certainly has the potential to be the long-term 3-and-D wing that the Spurs would want. To make those dreams come true, one expectation that he must meet is to become a more consistent 3-point shooter.<\/p>\n

At Arizona, Bryant did shoot a solid 37.1 percent from 3, but only took 2.7 attempts<\/a> per game. During the Summer League exhibitions, Bryant did not shoot well at all, converting 25.8 percent of his long-range attempts. Luckily for him, he\u2019ll get to play next to multiple players who can get him easy shots. With that aspect in mind, Bryant\u2019s rookie year will be big in terms of his shooting development.<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Scott Wachter-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Looking back at their offseason, the San Antonio Spurs had a successful draft and saw bright flashes from…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":149012,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[72889,40549,49952,355,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-149011","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-2025-nba-draft","9":"tag-carter-bryant","10":"tag-dylan-harper","11":"tag-nba","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}