Dylan Harper’s Two-Way Play Is the Spurs’ Key to Dominating

Dylan Harper was a standout for the San Antonio Spurs in the opening game of the Western Conference Finals.

His two-way play was the key to the Spurs stealing home court. He scored 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and had seven steals.

The Spurs can dominate the Thunder if Harper can have this kind of production for an entire series, in support of Victor Wembanyama.

Dylan Harper’s Defensive Tape

Harper shuts down the entire possession here:

He shuffles his feet laterally to cut off the drive and force a dribble pick up. Then, on the strong side of the floor, Harper aggressively plays in the gaps for a steal in the open floor.

The former second-overall pick finishes on the other end with a sweep through move in transition, going to his strong hand.

This next play displays his IQ:

While Harper has his eyes on the ball, his man cuts in front of him, creating a driving lane on the catch. But the quick processing of Stephon Castle and Harper have the same idea to peel switch — the nearest defender takes the driver and the other defender swaps assignments.

There’s no advantage for the Thunder and Harper steals it in the corner.

Playing Off Two Feet

On the offensive side of the ball, the former Rutgers product was tremendously crafty around the rim. 

It’s all the little things he does. First, Harper takes a jab step before playing off two feet. Playing off two feet helps him with a slide-by finish and evades the help defender. The moment he slides by, there’s nobody else to contest his shot.

Same thing here:

Once he bounces off two feet, he’s giving himself more hang time to make an adjustment on his shot. Even the low man, Jalen Williams, who’s by the baseline, is at Harper’s mercy because Harper is going to a slide-by finish where he finds the angle on the other side of his drive to put the ball in the cup.

Scoring in the paint had been one of keys for Harper.

This is his understanding of the space he has.

With Wembanyama trying to get Chet Holmgren to commit to helping, Harper knows Holmgren will be out of position and can use a ball fake. But Harper does a great job initiating contact to create space, negate Holmgren’s shot blocking and bank in a critical basket.

The Spurs can put the Thunder at their mercy behind Harper’s two-way play, but it has to be replicated for an entire series.