By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-03-22 01:12:08
迈阿密讯——马刺新秀后卫迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 只有区区 17 分钟的时间来为他的职业生涯首次 NBA 首发做准备。
“教练走进来对我说：‘你去防（安德鲁·）内姆哈德’，”哈珀说道。
哈珀的首要任务是：平复紧张的情绪。
“赛季已经打了 70 场了，但第一次首发还是挺让人紧张的，”他表示。
由于前锋德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 因右侧大腿后侧肌群酸痛在赛前临时缺阵，哈珀被推上了首发阵容。他迅速克服了赛前的焦虑，砍下平赛季最高的 24 分——这是他本赛季第 7 场得分 20+ 的比赛——并帮助马刺队在周六晚上于霜冻银行中心 (Frost Bank Center) 以 134-119 击败了联盟垫底且伤兵满营的印第安纳步行者队。
“第一回合打完我就没事了，”哈珀说，“只要球一抛起来，（紧张感就消失了）。”
新秀迪伦·哈珀在马刺击败步行者后谈论他职业生涯的首次 NBA 首发。pic.twitter.com/vUpesFVkqx
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) March 22, 2026
在去年 6 月的选秀大会上，马刺队在达拉斯独行侠队选中库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg) 后，用榜眼签摘下了哈珀。本场比赛他 13 投 9 中，追平了队友凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson)（2020年）保持的马刺球员首发首秀第四高得分纪录。
威利·安德森 (Willie Anderson) 在 1988-89 赛季揭幕战的联盟首秀中砍下 30 分，位列队史第一。比利·保尔茨 (Billy Paultz) 在 1976 年作为一名有着六年球龄的职业球员拿到了 27 分，而贝诺·尤德里 (Beno Udrih) 在 2005 年作为新秀拿到了 25 分。
“这是你从小就会梦想的事情，”哈珀在谈到首次首发时表示，“能处在这个位置，我感到非常幸运。”
在此役之前，哈珀在 57 场比赛中场均得到 11.1 分。本场比赛他在 28 分钟内还贡献了 4 个篮板和 3 次助攻，帮助马刺队（53胜18负）送给步行者队（15胜56负）16 连败。
不过，哈珀的表现并非完美无缺。
“我认为他可以打得更犀利些，”马刺队主帅米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 说道，“我觉得他可以继续提升体能状态。当你看到他的产出时，这些批评可能显得有些吹毛求疵，但这正说明了他有多大的潜力。”
“……他的上限和发展道路完全取决于他自己。我不是在吹捧，我是认真的。我只是希望他在转换防守上做得更好。”
约翰逊指出，哈珀两次被安德鲁·内姆哈德 (Andrew Nembhard) 通过后门空切上篮得手，后者拿到了全队最高的 25 分。此外，哈珀还领到了 4 次犯规。
马刺主帅米奇·约翰逊谈论哈珀的首次 NBA 首发，这位新秀 13 投 9 中砍下 24 分。pic.twitter.com/CwEEYA7DfR
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) March 22, 2026
赛后在更衣室里，主帅立即就防守失误对哈珀提出了批评。哈珀表示，他预计还会听到母亲玛丽亚·哈珀 (Maria Harper) 的唠叨，母亲在他于新泽西州读高中期间一直担任他的教练。
“我这辈子一直都在接受严厉的指导，”哈珀说道，他的父亲是五届 NBA 总冠军得主罗恩·哈珀 (Ron Harper)。
“我觉得如果我想成为最好的球员，就必须接受严厉的执教。每天来上班，我可能并不总是乐在其中，但我心里明白，这对我才是最好的。”
马刺队目前正处于五连胜中，自 2 月 1 日以来战绩为 21 胜 2 负。目前尚不确定当马刺队在周一晚上对阵迈阿密热火队（38胜33负）时，哈珀是否会回到替补席。约翰逊表示，瓦塞尔缺阵是出于预防性保护。
对于 20 岁的哈珀来说，角色定位似乎并没那么重要。
“直到高三、高四（在新泽西州拉姆齐的唐博斯科高中），我才成为队里最好的球员，”他说，“我一直秉持的心态就是留在体育馆里苦练，因为我知道属于我的时刻终会到来。”
尽管这位罗格斯大学的校友如果在一支天赋稍逊的球队很可能会是全职首发，但他表示自己非常“乐于接受”在这支冲击 60 胜的季后赛球队中担任替补。马刺队的后场拥有两届全明星德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 以及 2024-25 赛季最佳新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)，后者因右髋部紧绷已连续缺席两场比赛。
“我们排名西部第二，”哈珀说，“在我看来，我们是 NBA 最好的球队。能被这样一个充满家庭氛围的组织选中，我想任何新秀都愿意来到这里。从上到下，每个人都非常专业，每个人都乐于奉献，事必躬亲。”
约翰逊和球队的老将们都非常欣赏这种成熟的态度。
“在那个年纪能有这样的见地和接受度，真的很棒，”主帅说道，“而且他让这一切看起来都非常轻松。”
“他对我们非常重要，”福克斯说道，“他是我们能取得如今成就的重要原因。当我们换上替补阵容时，球队的实力没有任何下滑，我认为这就是我们如此强大的原因。我们可以一波接一波地冲击对手，无论是在进攻端还是防守端。”
正如约翰逊所言，哈珀目前的表现仅仅是展现了他巨大潜力的冰山一角。
“他是一个非常、非常聪明的孩子，直觉敏锐，所以对他来说，这可能比大多数 19、20 岁的年轻人都要容易，”约翰逊说道。
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：How Spurs rookie Dylan Harper did in his first career NBA start
How Spurs rookie Dylan Harper did in his first career NBA start
MIAMI — Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper had all of 17 minutes to prepare for his first NBA start.
“Coach came in and said, 'You guard (Andrew) Nembhard,” Harper said.
Task No. 1 for Harper: Calm his nerves.
“We’re 70 games in, but first start is kind of nerve wracking,” he said.
Thrust into the starting lineup after a sore right hamstring made forward Devin Vassell a late scratch, Harper quickly overcame his pregame jitters to match his season high of 24 points for his seventh 20-point game of the season while helping the Spurs beat the NBA cellar-dwelling, injury-riddled Indiana Pacers 134-119 Saturday night at the Frost Bank Center.
“I was good after the first play,” Harper said. “The ball just had to go up.”
Rookie Dylan Harper on his first career NBA start after the Spurs’ win over the Pacers. pic.twitter.com/vUpesFVkqx
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) March 22, 2026
Selected second overall by the Spurs last June after Dallas took Cooper Flagg, Harper hit 9 of 13 from the field to tie teammate Keldon Johnson (2020) for the fourth-highest scoring performance by a Spur in a starting debut.
Willie Anderson ranks first with 30 in his league debut in the 1988-89 season opener. Billy Paultz had 27 in 1976 as a sixth-year pro and Beno Udrih had 25 as a rookie in 2005.
“Kind of something you dream of as a kid,” Harper said of starting for the first time. “I’m just blessed to be in this position.”
Harper entered the contest averaging 11.1 points over 57 games. He also had four rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes to help the Spurs (53-18) send the Pacers (15-56) to their 16th loss in a row.
But Harper’s performance wasn’t without a few hiccups.
“I think he can be sharper,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "I think he can continue to get in better shape. Those are nitpicking criticisms when you look at the production, but that’s how good he can be.
“… His upside and path is whatever he wants it to be. And I’m not trying to shine you on. I’m being dead serious. I just want him to be better at transition defense.”
Johnson pointed out that Harper was beaten backdoor for layups twice by Nembhard, who finished with a team-high 25 points. He also committed four fouls.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson on Harper’s first NBA start as the rookie scored 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting. pic.twitter.com/CwEEYA7DfR
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) March 22, 2026
The coach took Harper to task about his defensive breakdowns in the locker room immediately after the game. Harper said he also expected to hear about them from his mother, Maria Harper, who coached him through high school in New Jersey.
“I’ve been getting coached hard all my life,” said Harper, whose father is five-time NBA champion Ron Harper.
“I feel like if I want to be the best player I can be, I got to get coached hard. Coming into work every day, I might not like it, but I know in the back of my head it’s what’s best for me.”
It’s uncertain whether Harper will be back on the bench when the Spurs, who have won five in a row and are 21-2 since Feb. 1, face Miami (38-33) Monday night. Johnson said Vassell was held out for precautionary reasons.
Not that his role matters all that much to the 20-year-old Harper.
“I wasn’t the best player (at Don Bosco High in Ramsey, N.J.) until my junior, senior year,” he said. “I’ve always had the mindset of just staying in the gym and (working while knowing) my time’s going to come.”
Although the Rutgers alumnus would likely be a full-time starter on a less-talented team, he said he’s “embracing” his reserve role on a playoff team pushing for 60 wins that boasts a backcourt of two-time All-Star De’Aaron Fox and 2024-25 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, who missed his second game in a row with a tight right hip.
“We’re number two in the West,” Harper said. “To me, we’re the best team in the NBA. So for me to get drafted by an organization that’s so family oriented, I think any rookie would want to come here. From top to bottom, everyone is very professional and everyone is just so giving and so hands on with everything.”
It’s a mature attitude Johnson and the team’s veterans appreciate.
“To have that perspective and that acceptance at that age is really good,” the coach said. “And he’s made it look very easy.”
“He’s been big for us,” Fox said. “He’s a big reason why we are where we are. There’s no drop off whenever we go to our bench, and I think that’s why we’re so good. We can just send waves at you. It happens on the offensive end and defensive end.”
And, as Johnson said, Harper is just scratching the surface when it comes to how good he can be.
“He’s a really, really smart kid with great instincts, so it’s probably easier for him than most 19-, 20-year-olds,” Johnson said.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News
