Harper and Wembanyama: Explosive debut with alley-oop in the Spurs

Dylan Harper Learns a Lesson from Victor Wembanyama in His Debut

Dylan Harper, the second draft pick, has found that throwing an alley-oop to Victor Wembanyama is a challenge. In his preseason debut with the San Antonio Spurs, Harper attempted a high pass for Wembanyama to perform a two-handed dunk. During the game against the Utah Jazz, Harper admitted that he could have made the pass more difficult than necessary.

I’m going to throw it a little higher.

Dylan Harper

Harper’s performance in the first half was nearly perfect, with a plus-minus of 22 in 12 and a half minutes, scoring 9 points on 4 of 5 shooting and two assists. He added another assist in the third quarter before leaving the game due to a minute restriction, finishing with a plus-minus of 20 in 18 minutes played. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson highlighted the importance of this experience for the young player, both offensively and defensively.

It’s just another step for him and his young career, as he will continue to grow.

Mitch Johnson

Harper, who admitted to feeling nervous in his debut, quickly adapted. His first two assists were alley-oops for Wembanyama and Luke Kornet. He also proved to be active on defense, guarding players all over the court. Wembanyama expressed his satisfaction with playing with Harper, highlighting his confidence and comfort in the game. Harper scored his first point with a layup after an assist from Harrison Barnes. In addition, he reunited on the court with his former teammate Ace Bailey.

Simply, being back on the court with those guys, getting the chemistry flowing before the season starts, it was good to play again.

Dylan Harper

Harper, who underwent surgery in September, participated in team training with a splint on his thumb. Although he suffered no injuries, he admitted that he must adjust his way of throwing passes to Wembanyama.

I should have thrown it higher, much higher. It’s weird. Nobody has played with someone so tall. You go out there. You throw it and you think you threw it too high. But then he catches it and you say, ‘It’s a little too low’. So things like that. Just throw it where nobody else can catch it, only him.

Dylan Harper