{"id":652452,"date":"2026-05-19T13:56:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T13:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/652452\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T13:56:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T13:56:08","slug":"you-ask-why-he-was-the-no-2-pick-ron-harper-sounds-off-on-dylans-critics-after-game-1-vs-oklahoma-city-thunder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/652452\/","title":{"rendered":"“You ask why he was the No.2 pick?” – Ron Harper sounds off on Dylan’s critics after Game 1 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder"},"content":{"rendered":"

The San Antonio Spurs<\/a> raised some eyebrows after drafting Dylan Harper<\/a> No. 2 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, behind Cooper Flagg<\/a>, when they already had two elite point guards in De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That criticism only grew when Harper began his rookie season coming off the bench behind Fox and Castle, especially as other rookies like V.J. Edgecombe and Kon Knueppel<\/a> quickly earned larger roles with their teams. As a result, some began to question whether the Spurs made the right decision in drafting Ron Harper<\/a>\u2019s son so high.<\/p>\n

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But after Dylan\u2019s breakout performance in Game 1 of the 2026 Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a>, the older Harper had something to say to his son’s critics.<\/p>\n

“You ask why he was the number 2 pick in the draft\u2026. Sleep on it now,” he wrote<\/a> on “X.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harper has been a playoff riser<\/p>\n

Although Harper showed flashes of brilliance during the regular season, he averaged only 22.6 minutes per game, putting up 11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists. But since the playoffs have started, Harper has been a huge difference-maker for the Spurs.<\/p>\n

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With their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers<\/a> tied at 1-1, he scored 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, in the game Victor Wembanyama<\/a> missed due to concussion protocol.<\/p>\n

Then, against the Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>, Harper averaged 14.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game despite playing only 24.8 minutes.<\/p>\n

On Monday night, with De’Aaron Fox out with an injury, Harper played the game of his life, finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals while committing just one turnover in 47 minutes of double overtime action. He joined Magic Johnson as the only rookie in NBA playoff history to record a 20-10-5 with five steals in a game. More importantly, he was a +14 for the Spurs. Only Wembanyama was better at +16.<\/p>\n

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Related: “I’ve got a bed now. Spoiled myself” – Steven Adams on his one-room apartment in Houston despite $184M NBA earnings<\/a><\/p>\n

The Slash Brothers are like attack dogs<\/p>\n

Harper and Castle have solidified their status as the new dynamic duo in the league \u2014 the “Slash Brothers” \u2014 whom head coach Mitch Johnson gave a lot of credit<\/a> to after they eliminated the \u00a0Timberwolves in the previous round.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey listen when we tell them stuff, and they get on the court, and they\u2019re just like attack dogs, and they just go,\u201d Johnson said<\/a> after the Spurs clinched the series in six games. “They don\u2019t make a lot of repeatable mistakes, and when they\u2019re given directions, they typically are very fast processors and pick up things very quickly. But I don’t know what the hell they look for because they\u2019re just always relentless in going forward, and I love it about them, and I just try to help channel the energy sometimes.”<\/p>\n

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After Castle starred with 32 in Game 6 against Minnesota, he struggled with 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting with 11 turnovers in Game 1 against the Thunder. But Harper picked up the slack, helping steady the Spurs in Fox\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n

Harper\u2019s breakout showed exactly why San Antonio<\/a> invested the No. 2 pick in him, and it only added fuel to the belief that the Spurs\u2019 backcourt depth could become a major problem for the rest of the league. For his father, it was the kind of night that felt like vindication.<\/p>\n

Related: Social media was in frenzy after Victor Wembanyama’s Game 1 vs. OKC: “If you don’t believe he got the GOAT potential, you don’t know ball”<\/a><\/p>\n

This story was originally published by Basketball Network<\/a> on May 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News<\/a> section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n