Spurs Expect Dylan Harper, Carter Bryant to Build on Unique Rookie Experience

SAN ANTONIO — Guiding a series-shifting playoff comeback typically requires experience.

In just their third postseason game, San Antonio Spurs rookies Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant engineered a double-digit turnaround on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers. Dealing with the absence of superstar Victor Wembanyama, Harper slashed his way to 27 points while Bryant earned three blocks and locked up All-Star Deni Avdija.

The duo shared significant time on the court in the third and fourth quarter to earn San Antonio a victory that flipped the first-round series in its favor.

With six minutes left in the game, Bryant drove on Avdija, attracted a double-team and dished the ball out to Devin Vassell. After Vassell swished the 3-pointer to take a 12-point lead, Bryant couldn’t help but throw his fist through the air and scream at his bench.

“That’s the closest thing you get to being on the court, is to see those two young men attack the game,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the victory. “We just kept working, and at some point, we had enough things going our way. We got in attack mode ... those two young men were leading the charge and it was fun to watch.”

Apr 24, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant (11) shoots the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half during Game 3 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A glance at the minutes log for the entire run to the NBA Finals presents a pair of intriguing juxtapositions. Ahead of Keldon Johnson, the seven-year veteran, reigning Sixth Man of the Year and longest-tenured current Spur, sits Harper. Ahead of Harrison Barnes, 14-year veteran with 71 playoff games under his belt, sits Bryant.

Two of the Spurs’ top nine contributors in the 2026 playoffs joined the team less than a year before the postseason began. The Spurs played youth over leadership, and Harper especially met the moment as San Antonio extended its season into June for the first time since 2014.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft averaged 18 points per game in 31 minutes in the NBA Finals, and played the seventh-most rookie minutes in a playoff run in NBA history.

After the Spurs’ season-ending Game 5 Finals loss, Mitch Johnson was asked to reflect on Harper’s success in his first NBA season. Johnson swiftly changed the conversation to position Bryant’s impact alongside Harper.

“I am really proud of (Dylan) and Carter,” Johnson said. “They trusted the program and allowed us to educate them on corporate knowledge ... we saw their talent. They’re playing in the NBA Finals guarding MVPs in Anthony Edwards, et cetera ... very proud of them.”

To the organization’s credit, the Spurs don’t surprise NBA fans when they draft a great player. Victor Wembanyama earned the franchise’s third NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2024, joining David Robinson and Tim Duncan. But the Spurs outdid themselves in drafting a duo of high-impact rookies in the same NBA Draft.

Due to their projected excellence in the coming years, the Spurs hope to be drafting late in the first round for a long time. The organization hit a home run in their final at-bat before its return to superpower status.

Harper showed signs of early greatness immediately, dropping 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting against the Brooklyn Nets in his third-ever NBA game. Harper was also the go-to choice in a December battle when the Spurs were down by one point with 14 seconds left against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Missing Wembanyama, Harper shouldered the scoring duties and drove inside for a game-winning layup. The rookie casually fought off Saddiq Bey and flipped the ball off the glass to secure the win and avenge the recent offensive slump he'd been in.

"In the beginning of the year, I was a little iffy, a little hesitant," Harper said that night, "but as the season kept on going, my teammates and coaches ... just encouraged me to be me."

Dec 8, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) drives to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen (22) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After starting off slow, Bryant earned a steady increase in minutes throughout his rookie season. The rookie’s playing time died down in the later rounds of the playoffs, and the limited minutes placed a greater emphasis on every play Bryant executed on the court.

Drafted primarily for his outstanding defensive ability, the forward from Arizona showed visible emotion after Mitch Johnson reprimanded him for a sloppy turnover in Game 4 of the Conference Finals. In just five minutes in Game 5, Bryant bounced back from his mistake, nailed a 3-pointer and finished shooting 3-of-5 from the floor.

"He has as good raw instincts (as anyone),” Johnson emphasized after Game 4. “When he plays free and allows his instincts to follow his athleticism and aggressiveness, good things happen.”

After the Spurs added a new duo of first-round draftees in Jayden Quaintance from Kentucky and Tarris Reed Jr. from UConn, Harper and Bryant are no longer the freshest faces on San Antonio’s roster.

As Bryant irons out his game offensively, Harper will fight for a starting position. After a deep playoff run, Mitch Johnson knows he can call on both youngsters to play beyond their years.

"I want to be a matchup nightmare," Bryant said during training camp, speaking on his goals this season. "One through five, being able to guard multiple positions, contest shots at the rim, be a rim protector (and) ... make life hard for anybody."

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