“Situational Evaluation” is a collection of articles that seeks to look at the circumstances that the majority usually affect an NBA prospect’s success. Every participant will probably be scored on a scale from 1-10 in 4 totally different classes: NBA-specific talent(s), deadly flaw(s), collegiate/abroad/pre-NBA atmosphere, and splendid NBA ecosystem.
Dylan Harper is a 19-year-old guard from New Jersey who averaged 19.4 factors, 4.6 rebounds, and 4 assists for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. He’s anticipated to be a top-three decide within the 2025 NBA Draft. NBADraft.internet at the moment has him projected at No. 2.
NBA-Particular Expertise
You ever watch somebody dribble a basketball for 10 seconds and know past any shadow of a doubt that participant has critical sport?
There’s an ease and a consolation with how that participant handles the ball. It looks as if the ball has been an extension of that participant’s hand for so long as they’ve been in a position to stroll. By way of the fakes, the modifications of tempo, the crosses, the double crosses – the ball is all the time the place that participant desires it. It’s management. It’s polish.
It’s Dylan Harper.
Harper approaches the sport as if he was a 10-year veteran. Regardless of not being probably the most explosive guard on this 12 months’s class, no person can appear to remain in entrance of him. Harper can get wherever he desires to go. He weaves by way of defenses like a shifty southpaw boxer, jabbing, feinting, ducking, and finally touchdown physique pictures on the rim.
Harper initiatives as a foul magnet on the subsequent degree. Search for him to reside on the foul line and presumably enter the “moral basketball” debate alongside James Harden, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Trae Younger, and different contact seekers. Regardless how you’re feeling about it, these sorts of gamers usually discover themselves on All-NBA Groups and All-Star rosters.
Harper is the sort of guard who can each manage an offense and play off the ball as a secondary slasher/creator. It’s uncommon to discover a participant at his measurement (6-6, 215) who can do each. That measurement and power additionally grants Harper the sort of defensive switchability/versatility that may permit him to carry up and even perhaps excel on that finish of the ground.
Very similar to Ron, his NBA champion father, Dylan Harper brings a number of fascinating expertise to the desk and initiatives as a super fifth starter at worst or a multiyear All-Star at finest. Some scouts see SGA once they see Harper, which appears ludicrous in the intervening time, however bear in mind – SGA wasn’t SGA when he was drafted in 2018.
On a scale from 1-10, Harper’s polish and flexibility charges at a 9.
Deadly Flaws
Rutgers positive misplaced a whole lot of video games, didn’t they?
Forgive me, however I’ll all the time be at the very least barely skeptical of prospects projected to go at/close to the highest of any draft who struggled to really, you understand, win video games. I get it – context issues, and Rutgers didn’t have a whole lot of expertise or help round Harper and Ace Bailey (to be coated later). However it is a workforce that appeared to get awfully snug with dropping.
School basketball has subsequent to no relationship with NBA basketball, and I totally anticipate Harper’s skillset to translate a lot better to the talent/spacing of the skilled sport, however c’mon. After beginning the season 4-0 towards decrease competitors, the Scarlet Knights by no means received greater than two video games in a row the remainder of the season.
The repetitive dropping caught in my thoughts when evaluating Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz, too. I’m simply mentioning it. Feels related.
Additionally, Harper received’t wow anybody within the athletic assessments. He’s not a subpar athlete, however he’s not an eye-popping one, both. Will his start-stop-shifty strategy translate to a league as athletic and complicated because the NBA? I believe it would, however it’s one thing to watch, significantly as Harper will get his ft moist.
On a scale from 1 (not a priority) to 10 (critical hindrance), Harper’s funky school season and relative lack of explosion charges at a 7. No purpose to go on him, however one thing to think about.
Pre-NBA Setting
It was apparent instantly. Ron Harper’s child might ball.
He dominated the New Jersey prep circuit earlier than becoming a member of forces with fellow uber-prospect Ace Bailey to remain near house and elevate Rutgers to the nationwide dialog.
No 15-17 school workforce ever obtained extra protection.
Harper’s particular person brilliance popped regardless of the up-and-down season and his spotlight reel makes him appear to be a future All-Star. However profitable basketball is about greater than the spotlight reel.
Maybe his single-best pre-NBA accomplishment got here within the McDonald’s All-American Recreation, the place he received co-MVP with Derik Queen (additionally coming later) and appeared like a celebrity amongst future stars. Nevertheless it’s onerous to actually dig deep in a prospect’s analysis when we have now but to see him in an actual sport with stakes.
On a scale from 1-10, Harper’s pre-NBA profession charges at a 5.
Preferrred NBA Ecosystem
Let’s make this fast: Dylan Harper is probably going going to be drafted with the No. 2 decide. Who will make that decide? Let’s see.
The percentages-on favourite to pick Harper: The San Antonio Spurs. Positive, they’d a lot slightly have Cooper Flagg, however Harper is an intriguing addition to the De’Aaron Fox/Stephon Fortress/Devin Vassell backcourt. Fortress and Harper every have the scale/size to defend greater gamers (Fortress particularly has All-Defensive Crew potential) and all three gamers carry sufficient ballhandling and creativity (Harper particularly) to enhance Fox.
Is it a seamless match? Not essentially. Each Fox and Harper are extra snug with the ball of their fingers. It may very well be to Harper’s long-term profit, nonetheless, to learn to play off the ball in Fox-heavy lineups and shift into playmaker mode when Fox sits. Groups in at this time’s NBA want as many artistic ballhandlers as attainable to poke holes within the protection.
The one situation the place Harper performs elsewhere is that if the No. 2 decide is concerned in a deal for a participant like that man in Milwaukee who might or will not be obtainable. The Phoenix Suns would positive like to snag this decide as a part of a Kevin Durant deal, however that appears unlikely at finest.
On a scale from 1-10, Harper’s situational slot in San Antonio is an 8.5 – not an ideal 10, however it’s fascinating all the identical. New Spurs coach Mitch Johnson can have each alternative to flex his creativity with all of the younger potential surrounding Victor Wembanyama.
