By Mateo Mayorga | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-03-31 19:00:00
NBA年度最佳新秀奖（ROY）是未来成功的一个良好指标，但这并不总是意味着获奖者会拥有同届球员中最好的职业生涯，也不意味着没获奖的球员就不能同样成功。今年，NBA的最佳新秀热门候选人是康·克内佩尔 (Kon Knueppel) 和库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg)，两人都是上限极高的特殊球员。尽管如此，圣安东尼奥马刺队在第2顺位选中迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 依然是正确的决定（抱歉了，凯文·奥康纳），原因如下。
在2025-26赛季，有19名NBA新秀场均出场时间至少达到20分钟，但只有三名球员场均出场时间超过30分钟（至少出战55场）：弗拉格、克内佩尔和VJ·埃奇库姆 (VJ Edgecomb)。这三位球员在各自球队中基本都是首发，而哈珀场均出场22.3分钟，在新秀中排名第12位，且仅有两次首发。这意味着在争夺最佳新秀的竞争中，他的优势不如其他前四顺位的新秀。尽管如此，任何能让自己成为轮换阵容一员的新秀都表现得很出色，尤其是像在马刺这样优秀的球队中赢得位置。
请记住，自1988-89赛季以来，只有三位马刺新秀的场均出场时间超过30分钟：蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan)、大卫·罗宾逊 (David Robinson) 和威利·安德森 (Willie Anderson)。这在很大程度上与马刺多年来人才济济有关，但也因为他们的信条是不给新秀（尤其是年轻新秀）过重的负担。上述三位马刺名宿进入联盟时都已年满21岁或以上，且从第一天起就是首发，而哈珀主要随第二阵容出战。然而值得注意的是，由哈珀、凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson)、德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell)、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 和维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 组成的五人阵容是球队表现最好的组合之一。
这个轮换组合是他们本赛季使用频率第12高的阵容。其成功的部分原因在于拥有多名持球者所带来的多功能性。另一个原因则是犀利的外线防守，这为文班赢得了额外的几秒钟时间，让他能出现在想去的位置。
哈珀是一位聪明的进攻创造者，场均助攻失误比为2.76，在新秀中排名第一。他的大部分传球和助攻都给了约翰逊，后者也是传球给他最多的人。此外，哈珀是仅有的三位场均得分上双且有效投篮命中率（eFG%）不低于54.0%的新秀之一。在马刺队中，他为队友创造三分球机会的能力排名第三（场均5.4个），仅次于卡斯尔和德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)。
由于角色的原因，哈珀可能永远不会像许多榜眼秀那样引起那么大的轰动。但撇开这些背景因素，他在一支比预期提前至少一年成为争冠球队中所做的贡献意义重大。尽管是一名新秀，但他已成为主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 在重大比赛中可以信赖的对象，也是球队板凳得分排名全联盟前八的重要原因。他的新秀赛季或许不像弗拉格或克内佩尔那样光彩夺目，但一名新秀在职业生涯初期就能获得如此多的信任，实属罕见。
很难预测奖项评选者的倾向，虽然可以稳妥地假设哈珀不会赢得年度最佳新秀，但他至少理应入选最佳新秀阵容。他持球时速度快、力量足且灵活性强。虽然他今年只在对阵两支弱旅时首发过两次，但在他上场的时间里，马刺的进攻毫无滞涩。他在新秀内线得分和快攻得分榜上均位列前五，但最重要的是，他是在一支正在争夺全联盟第一战绩的球队中完成这些的。其他新秀可以在没有压力的情况下打出类似的数据，因为他们的球队毫无起色，或者他们的角色地位稳如泰山；但哈珀面临着必须产出的压力，因为如果他表现不佳，马刺完全可以让福克斯或卡斯尔打更长时间。
如果哈珀有一个弱点，那就是他的三分球。他几乎所有的出手都是空位或大空位，在4到6英尺的空间内能投出联盟平均水平的效率，但在6英尺以上的空间内命中率仅为31.2%。马刺球迷不必担心这是一个长期问题，因为他训练刻苦，而且奇普·英格兰德 (Chip Engelland) 的“秘密配方”已被球队紧密复刻。目前，如果对手通过放空投篮来针对他，他可以专注于在手递手传球后担任掩护者，这将帮助他通过冲击空间来创造助攻，也是一种很好的反制手段。
常规赛仅剩七场，因此在目前这个阶段，恐怕很难再从这批年轻人身上发现什么新东西了。但我们已经见识到了新秀哈珀的实力，在我这里他得到了 A- 的评分。对联盟其他球队来说，可怕的是他还有巨大的成长空间。
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：Dylan Harper’s rookie season has been better than the numbers
Dylan Harper’s rookie season has been better than the numbers
The NBA Rookie of the Year award can be a good indicator of future success, but it doesn’t always mean the player who won it will go on to have the best career of his class, nor does it mean the ones who didn’t win it can’t be just as successful. This year, the NBA’s top candidates are Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg, and both of them are special players with high ceilings. Still, the San Antonio Spurs made the made the right pick by selecting Dylan Harper at 2nd overall (sorry, Kevin O’Connor), and here’s why.
There are 19 NBA rookies playing at least 20 minutes per game in the 2025-26 season, and only three are logging at least 30 mpg (minimum 55 games played): Flagg, Knueppel, and VJ Edgecomb. All three have been mostly starers for their teams, while Harper is 12th among rookies in minutes at 22.3 per game with just two starts, meaning he doesn’t have as strong of a case for ROY as his fellow top four picks. Still, any rookie who has made himself a rotation player has done a good job, especially when they earn that spot on a quality team like the Spurs.
Keep in mind that only three Spurs rookies have averaged 30 minutes since 1988-89: Tim Duncan, David Robinson and Willie Anderson. A lot of that has to do with how stacked many Spurs teams have been over the years, but it’s also not their motto to put too much on rookies’ plates, especially the younger ones. While the three Spurs above all entered the league aged 21 or older and started from day 1, Harper plays mostly with the second unit. Yet notably, the five-man unit with Harper, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama is one of their best.
That rotation is their 12th most-used this season, but part of the reason for its success is having added versatility with multiple ball handlers. The other is the sharp perimeter defense that buys Wemby the extra second to get where he wants.
Harper is a smart shot creator, averaging a 2.76 assist-to-turnover ratio: the best among rookies. Most of his passes and assists have gone to Johnson, who also passes him the ball the most. To boot, Harper is one of three rookies to score in double figures with a minimum 54.0 effective field goal percentage, and on the Spurs, he generates the third most 3-pointers (5.4) for his teammates after Castle and De’Aaron Fox.
Harper was never going to make as much noise as many 2nd overall picks do because of his role, but take out that bit of context, and what he’s done matters a lot to a team that has turned into a championship contender at least a year earlier than expected. Despite being a rookie, he’s someone coach Mitch Johnson can count on in big games and is a big part of why the team has a top-eight scoring bench. His rookie campaign may not be as glamourous as Flagg or Knueppel’s, but it’s still rare for a rookie to garner that much trust so early in their careers.
It’s always difficult to get a read on how award voters will lean, but while it’s probably safe to assume Harper won’t win Rookie of the Year, he at least deserves to be on one of the All-Rookie teams. He’s quick, strong and shifty with the ball, and while he has only started twice this year against two low-level opponents, the Spurs offense didn’t miss a beat in his minutes. He is in the top five among rookies in points in the paint and fastbreak points, but most importantly, he’s doing all this for a team that’s on the hunt for the league’s best record. Other rookies can put up similar numbers with no pressure since their team is going nowhere or their role is not in jeopardy, but Harper is under pressure to produce, because if he doesn’t, the Spurs can simply turn to Fox or Castle for more minutes.
If Harper has one weakness, it’s his 3-point shooting. Almost all of his attempts are open to wide-open, making league average efficiency with 4-6 feet of space, but only 31.2 percent with six feet or more space. Spurs fans should not worry about this being a long term problem because he works hard, and Chip Engelland’s secret sauce has been closely replicated by the team. For now, he can focus on becoming a screener after a handoff if opponents scheme him out by daring him to shoot, which will help him rack up assists and is a good counter by attacking the space.
There’s only seven games left in the regular season, so it is doubtful anyone will learn anything new from the crop of youngsters at this point. But we so know who Rookie Harper, and he’s earned himself an A- on my scale. The scary thing for the rest of the league is he has much more room to grow.
By Mateo Mayorga, via Pounding The Rock