San Antonio Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper may be further down his team’s depth chart than his rookie counterparts, but the early impact he’s had this season are as tangible as any.
Sharing a backcourt with De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, Harper has carved out his role as a reserve guard for the second seeded team in the Western Conference.
Yahoo! Sports NBA contributor Steve Jones released an update to his rookie rankings for the NBA season and Harper ranks sixth on Jones’ list behind Derik Queen, Cedric Coward and the two front-runners, Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg.
The Spurs guard is averaging 11 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists in just over 21 minutes per game.
MORE: Hornets’ Kon Knueppel headlines latest rookie power rankings
Jones’ analysis of Harper
“The drives from Harper remain a constant; according to the NBA’s tracking data, he was up to 10.5 drives per game in the month of December while delivering on the Spurs’ three-guard attack,” Jones wrote. “The production around those drives is what has taken a hit as 40 of his 58 made field goals in December came in the restricted area, while he shot 18 of 73 from all other zones.
“The mentality, mindset and skill remain the same, so this could be a case of needing to see the ball go through the basket. You do want to avoid a world where defenses are helping off you when you’re spaced, daring you to shoot and staying at home on your drives.”
Harper may not be the consensus Rookie of the Year, but he is a key contributor for what’s been the best team in the NBA over the course of the last month.
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