The San Antonio Spurs just made the NBA Finals with a roster that wasn’t supposed to be there yet. And yeah, they handled the defending champion Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. They also beat Oklahoma City four out of five times during the regular season. But don’t let that record fool you about how tough those games actually were.
Spurs rookie Dylan Harper had a monster first year in the league. But when asked who gave him the most trouble defensively, he didn’t hesitate before naming Oklahoma City’s two stars.
“Shai and Jalen Williams, them two with OKC,” Harper said. “When we first played them, we beat them, but I was like, those two are kind of hard to guard. They’ve got four ball handlers on the floor, and with Shai, just the way he creates angles and gets to your body.”
Harper’s comments came during an interview that ClutchPoints posted on social media. The rookie made it clear that even when the Spurs won, guarding the Thunder’s duo felt like a different kind of challenge.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just won his second straight MVP award. The guy has averaged over 30 points per game for four consecutive seasons. Jalen Williams is the other half of arguably the best superstar duo in basketball right now. Both players have skill sets that are advanced and a little unorthodox, which makes them nightmares for any defender. Especially a rookie still learning NBA-level angles and schemes.
A Rivalry That’s Just Getting Started
The Spurs and Thunder look like they’re headed toward a long-term rivalry. Both teams are young. Both teams are built around star power. And both teams have their core guys locked up for years. Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams are signed long-term in Oklahoma City. Harper is already a key piece of San Antonio’s future alongside Victor Wembanyama.
That means Harper is going to be asked to guard those two a lot over the next several seasons. The fact that the Spurs made the Finals this early says a lot about Harper’s own game. But he’s also honest enough to admit that matching up with SGA and Jalen Williams is no easy task.
Oklahoma City won’t be happy about losing to San Antonio in the conference finals. And Harper won’t forget how much work it took to get past them. This thing is far from over.
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