SAN ANTONIO — As followers gathered outdoors the Victory Capital Efficiency Heart within the sweltering warmth Saturday for the “Spurs Household Cookout,” No. 2 total decide Dylan Harper delivered a message for the crew’s trustworthy eager for San Antonio to finish its six-year playoff drought.
“That is going to vary actually fast,” Harper stated at his introductory press convention. “We’ll make the playoffs. I feel for the Spurs followers and everybody else, our group may be very thrilling. There’s lots to look ahead to. The sky is the restrict for this group we have got.”
Assigned jersey No. 2, which was final worn in San Antonio by former Spurs Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, Harper additionally expressed confidence in his prospects for serving to the franchise obtain NBA historical past. San Antonio drafted the final two winners of NBA Rookie of the 12 months in Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Fortress.
No crew has ever produced three consecutive winners of the award.
“I do not suppose I really feel no stress [to win ROY], however I undoubtedly wish to hold that going,” Harper stated. “That is undoubtedly a purpose of mine. In all probability my largest purpose is simply getting higher every single day, taking it day-to-day, step-by-step, and simply studying from everybody I can.”
Harper eyed a trio of sources of huge NBA data dripping in championship pedigree on Friday in the midst of certainly one of his first coaching periods in San Antonio, simply two days after the Spurs landed him with a top-four decide of their third consecutive draft.
“I am understanding, and I randomly see Tim Duncan, Gregg Popovich and Manu Ginobili,” Harper stated. “That is not one thing you will see in another group. Rising up, this is without doubt one of the groups you all the time wished to play for. Seeing their dynasty, [you] simply hold wanting to construct on these banners and wish to add a couple of extra.”
Fellow first-rounder Carter Bryant, drafted No. 14 total, is anticipated to assist. An athletic, 3-and-D ahead out of Arizona, Bryant has identified Harper since their sophomore 12 months in highschool, after they confronted off on the EYBL circuit.
Whereas Harper would be the first Spur to put on No. 2 in San Antonio since Leonard’s departure, Bryant’s uncle, D’Cean, coached Leonard in highschool as an assistant at Martin Luther King Excessive Faculty in Riverside, California.
“I do not know an excessive amount of in regards to the metropolis, however [the Spurs] ran my childhood,” Bryant stated. “Rising up, I used to be an enormous fan of Kawhi. I cherished Timmy D. That was my uncle’s favourite participant. I simply cherished basketball rising up. So, all people knew who Tony Parker, Manu, David Robinson and all these guys have been. Rising up and seeing that dynasty form of set the trail for the remainder of my childhood. There have been plenty of nice franchises that got here afterwards. However they have been form of the beginning of it. For me to be within the place to get chosen by them and with the ability to proceed the legacy of what these earlier than me introduced is gorgeous.”
Harper and Bryant will debut on the California Summer season League on July fifth in San Francisco towards the Miami Warmth, and Harper has set a purpose “to win each sport we play.” Though Harper oozes confidence, basic supervisor Brian Wright has raved in regards to the former Rutgers star’s humility.
“I feel my confidence and all that comes from all of the work I’ve put in,” Harper stated. “I really feel like I am one of many hardest working folks out [there]. I simply know the way a lot work I put in. You have nonetheless acquired to be humble as a result of simply [as] fast as you get all the pieces, all the pieces can go away.”
