Through the first week of the 2025-26 NBA season, the basketball world as a whole has been spellbound by the work Victor Wembanyama has put in. Finally justifying, and somehow exceeding, the hype placed on him entering the draft, he is off to a historic start, as the San Antonio Spurs look like a legitimate playoff threat seemingly overnight. However, he isn’t the only piece that is making the team operate at its peak.
Even without De’Aaron Fox, a 3-0 start has them firmly at the top of the Western Conference, and it has been thanks to a collection of talent all across the roster. One name, in particular, that has stood out so far is rookie Dylan Harper, whom the team selected second overall.
After his best game of the season came against the Brooklyn Nets, one player on the team had a warning for the rest of the league.
Dylan Harper Turns Eyeballs Against the Nets
A spectacular run at Rutgers paved the way for Harper to be a top-of-the-line draft pick in the 2025 draft. Unsurprisingly, he was taken second overall by San Antonio, as the timeline fit perfectly for a team trying to sustainably build its future.
Immediately, though, his impact has been noticeable in all three games. An excellent debut outing saw him tally 15 points, four rebounds, and two assists before an underwhelming game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
However, facing the Brooklyn Nets in a back-to-back, Harper lit up the scoreboard in the home opener for the Spurs. Scoring 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, he also added six rebounds, eight assists, and two steals to the scoreboard.
For a team with the last two Rookie of the Year on the roster, Harper offers significant hope that they could make it three in a row, even with the hype behind the first overall pick in this year’s draft, Cooper Flagg.
After the game, Julian Champagnie took to X to send a simple message about what Harper’s arrival could mean for the rest of the NBA. “They in trouble!!!!!” was all he wrote, but the threat was loud and clear.
They in trouble !!!!! https://t.co/Qm84oZqW2n
— Julian Champagnie (@JulianChampagn2) October 26, 2025
An undrafted free agent out of the 2022 NBA Draft, Champagnie found his home with the Spurs in 2023Â and has become a valuable part of the team in the years since. For a roster that lacks true marksmanship from beyond, Champagnie offers that in spades.
A career 37.2% 3-point shooter, his free-throw percentage of 85.7% (90.4% last season)Â offers hope that those numbers could get even better. With the downhill prowess of Harper, that could make for an interesting two-man game on the tertiary to give the Spurs another dynamic in the years to come.
