Dylan Harper only played two games of Summer League. What impressed you and what do you think is something he has to work on before the season?
Marilyn Dubinski: It’s hard to take much from two games, but he looked pretty good for someone who hadn’t played a game since March, so it adds intrigue to what he can do when he’s not rusty and completely healthy. I was impressed with his fluidity and how he drove to the basket with grace and ease. His jump shot could be more consistent, and while that was already known, it could also be attributed to rust.
Mark Barrington: He looked great. His ability to get to the hoop is apparent, and he has good
strength and agility. His shooting started off a little rusty, but it’s hard to criticize that based on such a small sample size. He had just about as good of a summer league as you could expect, and I didn’t find much to be unhappy about. He doesn’t need my advice, but working on his outside shot will make him basically unguardable, because if defenders are forced to close down on him at the perimeter, he’s going to go right by them.
Devon Birdsong: Seeing that lateral and interior speed with NBA spacing had me in a time-traveling telephone booth, because I haven’t watched a San Antonio guard move so quickly and easily through the middle of the half-court since a young Tony Parker. Granted, it was Summer League, but Harper strides through the paint like he’s gliding on butter. I liked the pick before, but it’s really something to witness how easy Dylan Harper makes it look. If he finds a way to shoot 38% or better from three, he’ll be a 20 ppg player with ease, and quickly. The Spurs have historically been good at drafting guards, but the fact that they only needed two games to know he didn’t need more time on the court says everything.
Jeje Gomez: I was impressed by his attitude as much as anything else. He played hard and didn’t allow the bad moments to disturb him. He also seemed to enjoy seeing his teammates do well once he was shut down. Heading into a rookie year in which he might not get as much playing time or touches as he would in a rebuilding team, it will be important for his mindset to be right, and it seems like it is. As far as what he needs to work on, reading the defense and making quicker decisions are two areas that he could improve on, but he might need experience in the league to do so.
Carter Bryant got more run than Harper during the summer. Do you think he can crack the rotation, considering his strengths and weaknesses?
Dubinski: It’s hard to say at this point. I would have definitely said yes if the Spurs were still in complete rebuild mode, but with them being as deep as they are at this point, it may depend on whether his outside shot comes around after a pretty horrific showing on that end in Summer League. That being said, his defensive skill, tenacity and awareness on the perimeter is something we haven’t seen on this team since arguably Kawhi Leonard, and it’s the biggest area the Spurs need to improve to jump into the playoff tier of the standings. I have him in the third string to start the season, but that could quickly change.
Barrington: He looked very raw in Summer League, which is what you might expect from a guy who missed some time in his one-and-done year in college. He’s got impressive physical gifts and plays without fear. He almost needs to slow down a bit, but I didn’t mind him going full goblin mode in Sumer League. His shot was problematic for most of the week he was playing in Vegas, but his final game showed that he has the potential to be a good shooter and it’s going to come to him if he keeps working. I don’t think his work ethic can be questioned, so that’s almost a foregone conclusion. He’s probably going to need a year or two to develop, so I think he’s going to get limited playing time at the start of the season, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him getting a lot more minutes after the calendar hits 2026. He probably won’t be a starter this season, but he’ll be in the rotation by the end of the season, and in the starting lineup sometime next season.
Birdsong: I think it’s very much an early Kawhi Leonard situation when it comes to Bryant. If he can hit threes, the Spurs are going to find minutes for him, because his raw talent on the defensive end already lends itself to high-end speculation. Even more than natural instinct, Bryant showcased real tenacity and desire on that side of the court, and showed flashes of turning into a headache against both guards and wings. The Spurs didn’t really make a defensive pickup for the perimeter, so they’ll be counting on internal improvement from both coaches and players. I suspect it’ll take some injuries for Bryant to find himself in the rotation consistently, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him Austin for a part of the season. If he ends up getting 20+ minutes it’ll be because the injury bug has bitten the Spurs yet again, or San Antonio brass made their best late-lottery pick in over a decade.
Gomez: There are too many wings on the roster for Bryant to get consistent minutes to start the season. I can see him getting on the court if there are injuries or a trade that thins down the depth at the forward spots, but if everyone’s healthy and the Spurs don’t make any big moves early, he’ll probably have to wait.
Are there any free agents from the Summer League team that the Spurs should keep on a regular deal or a two-way deal?
Dubinski: I’m sure this will be everyone’s answer, but David Jones-Garcia could not have done more to prove himself. He was their leading scorer, and every shot he took felt like it was going in. Even if the Spurs are already deep at guard, you can’t have too many shooters. It may come down to whether other teams can guarantee him a spot in their rotation — something the Spurs can’t promise. I also wouldn’t have an issue with re-signing Minix to either a two-way or guaranteed deal, and I’ll let the Texas A&M Aggie in me come out and tell the Spurs to give Dexter Dennis a two-way. He flew under the radar of the Spurs’ rookies and DJG’s breakout, but he was constantly solid on both ends and hit his threes more consistently than anyone. (Come on, Spurs. You didn’t listen when I said Alex Caruso was Manu-lite coming out of college, so hear me now.)
Barrington: I think that Minix and Ingram are probably back as two-way players, even though Ingram wasn’t exactly impressive in Summer League. He can be trusted to know the system and not make mistakes, which should be enough for him to fill a role as a ‘In Case of Emergency: Break Glass’ kind of deep backup that can play limited minutes if the team is shorthanded due to players not being available.
Everyone could see that David Jones-Garcia looked great in Summer League, but I haven’t yet boarded the train where I think the Spurs should offer him a long-term guaranteed contract. Dominating one week in Summer League is not the same as playing in an 82-game NBA season. I think he’s definitely earned some guaranteed money, but I wouldn’t want to go much above the league minimum and a one-year contract offer if I were Brian Wright. Maybe a second year with a partial guarantee. I expect he’ll get a better offer than that from another team that has a less deep guard rotation, and that might work out better for him anyway, since he wouldn’t get a lot of run with the Spurs' guard-heavy roster. But then again, he’s pretty versatile and can also play wing, so maybe that’s a point in his favor for the Spurs giving him a shot.
Like Marilyn, I thought that Dexter Dennis also had an impressive outing in Vegas, and might be a candidate for the third two-way slot if they don’t bring David Duke Jr. back. For sure, Dennis is going to be in someone’s training camp this season, and hopefully it will be in San Antonio.
Birdsong: There always seems to be someone every couple of seasons who grinds their way through the Spurs pipeline and into temporary usefulness, but I just really did not see anything that leapt out at me. This roster is already deep with high-level role players, so I just don’t see them really having the room unless something goes really, really wrong. The Spurs need another big man behind Wemby and Kornet, but the Summer League roster was really light on that, so I’m guessing they are fine with Olynyk as their third center. David-Jones Garcia deserves his flowers (and maybe a two-way), but I don’t see it happening. Dexter Dennis might have a better shot, and I don’t think he’s getting one either. Until this roster starts really needing cheap depth, I don’t expect to hear much from the Summer League/Austin Spurs pipeline.
Gomez: I think bringing Minix and Ingram back on two-way deals makes sense. I also wouldn’t mind the Spurs adding David Jones-Garcia to their main roster on a barely-guaranteed Champagnie-like contract, but considering he turned down an offer from a European powerhouse for more than the minimum, he might have a better deal than the one San Antonio might offer already lined up. The rest of the roster was mostly comprised of older guys, and no one really stood out, but Dennis and Osifo could be decent training camp bodies.
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