Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, the general perspective n. 2 In the 2024 class, he’s leaving an excellent serial quantity season in Piscataway, the place he has dazzled as a marker who facilitated and has had an impression on each ends of the ground.
The 6 ft Harper-6 scored on common 19.4 factors, 4.6 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.4 stolen per sport, whereas taking pictures 48.4/33.3/75.0 in 29 video games. Think about being an appetizer of the day-1 within the NBA. It is solely if the groups take into account it as a guard or extra a mixed/out of guard guard.
While the previous Duke Forward and the 2024-25 school basketball participant of the yr Cooper Flagg Figures to be chosen for the primary time within the subsequent NBA 2025 draft by the Dallas Mavericks, Harper will most likely be behind.
Having stated that, listed below are the primary three NBA for Harper, among the many groups they choose among the many first six.
Jazz has completed with the worst NBA document this season. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
Jazz has had younger grass gamers for a while, however solely so many components of definitive franchise development. Harper could be a participant that the franchise can label like a pillar and that he would have fashioned a protracted -term lethal backccourt with Keyonte George.
Two years in the past, the Utah appeared to have a franchise participant in Lauri Markkanen, who was leaving a Breakout season that noticed him achieve a nod of all-star. However, Markkanen’s rating has gone down to every of the final two seasons (25.6 factors per sport in 2022-23 to 23.2 factors in 2023-24 at 19.0 factors in 2024-25) and the jazz was 21 ° within the NBA within the rating (111.9 ppg) and drawn for the twenty second within the share of Field for the share (45.4%) on this season. They want an offensive stress, which Harper would offer.
A backcourt pair of George and Harper could be one of many two quick and flowering guards who can mark in numerous methods and develop into the guts of the coach’s head. In the wake of that growth, the defensive consideration leaves Markkanen, who was requested to convey the offensive load for 3 seasons.
Jazz has an extra of guard with Collin Sexton and Isaiah Collier, amongst others, in progress, however a crew that has simply revealed the worst document on this sport can’t refuse the potential for including abilities to excessive ceiling; They can draw up or alternate to pick Harper (Utah has selections n. 5 and 21 within the first spherical of this yr) after which make an alternate with their guard depth to strengthen the frontcourt.
What most likely prevents Harper from touchdown in Salt Lake City, nevertheless, is that it’s doubtlessly out of the scoreboard earlier than selecting n. 5 (Yes, the Utah slipped from n. 1 to n. 5 within the lottery of the NBA venture), and jazz has doubtlessly feeling that the drafting in keeping with the wants – if the worth is similar – remains to be probably the most believable path, nevertheless.
The Wizards arrived final on the Eastern Conference this season. (Photo of G Fiume/Getty Images)
Alex Sarr is a unprecedented expertise that may fly up and down the ground, hit the axes and deny the blows like anybody’s enterprise, however magicians don’t but have a spotlight of the franchise. Harper might develop into that participant for Washington.
The Wizards have been 27 ° within the NBA in rating (108.0 ppg), twenty eighth within the share of targets within the discipline (43.9%) and 29 ° in share of three -point taking pictures (33.5%) this season, and this has arrived with the alternate of Kyle Kuzma with the Milwaukee Bucks in February. In different phrases, the offense is desperately obligatory right here. Harper would have had the ball in his palms very a lot, he most likely manages the offense of the pinnacle of the coach Brian Kefe, and he might play his strengths, since they’d doubtlessly be their marker n. 2 Behind Jordan Poole – which might be simply exchanged inside the following eight months – from the start.
With Harper and Poole within the backcourt, Sarr turns into an inside offensive participant extra impression and the continual enchancment of Bilal Coulibaly and Corey Kispert, the Wizards start to have a legit nucleus to be constructed. Having a multidimensional offensive participant in Harper makes the distinction.
Washington would most likely have needed to alternate alternative n. 6 To draw up Harper, however might embody one in all its youthful guards (BUB Carrington?) And a future first rounder in an settlement to ensure Rutgers’ defender. Magicians are a candy touchdown level for Harper to attract on its stellar potential. There is just one crew that has a bit of extra sense for him.
The Hornets have gained 67 video games mixed within the final three seasons. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The Hornets are in a routine, however they’re at that time with younger compelling gamers like Lamelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Harper might be the proper resolution between a ball and Miller and Help Charlotte lastly to make a bounce.
The ball will proceed to be the fulcrum of Charlotte’s offense, however having one other participant who can handle the rock and be a facilitator would make miracles, because the ball can develop into too pleased. In that notice, Harper might be the guard of the crew level if and when the ball, which has been restricted to 35 video games per season within the final three years as a result of steady ankle and wrist accidents, is lacking.
Having Ball and Miller-The 2024-25 marketing campaign ended after 27 video games as a result of a wrist-sano harm is important, since the most effective absence of the crew’s two markers this season has led Charlotte to finish up final within the rating in rating (105.1 ppg) and share of targets within the discipline (43%). Their returns – or a minimum of extra availability from the 2 native gamers – with Miles Bridges, which has a median of 20.5 ppg within the final three seasons, and Harper by their facet, would have given the Hornets a compelling ranging from 5 ultimately of the offensive.
On the Harper entrance, the longer term Rookie wouldn’t have been requested to enter and play hero. It can facilitate the combination and never have the duty of changing into the crew’s point of interest. Harper, 19 years previous, has the expertise of being a minimum of the marker n. 2 In a contending crew, however after solely a yr of the college ball, it’s most likely higher that Rutgers’ star develops in an offensive tertiary position to start out her profession. Charlotte, who has not gained greater than 30 video games in every of the final three seasons, wants one other block to combine their foundations. Harper adapts to the invoice.
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