After the San Antonio Spurs added Dylan Harper within the 2025 NBA Draft, they’re anticipated to make some noise within the playoffs, the place they may meet his brother’s staff.
It’s laborious to think about a extra basketball-rich household than the one Dylan Harper got here from. Earlier than being chosen second total by the San Antonio Spurs within the 2025 NBA Draft, Harper attended Rutgers, the place his brother, Ron Jr., twice made the All-Huge Ten staff.
Earlier than his brief faculty profession, Dylan was coached by his mother at Don Bosco Prep College. His father, Ron Harper, performed 15 seasons within the NBA, successful 5 titles subsequent to legends like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant.
Dylan’s older brother went undrafted in 2022 however performs for the Detroit Pistons on a two-way contract. Instantly after Dylan was drafted, Ron Jr. made a daring prediction.
The Pistons grew to become the primary staff in NBA historical past to triple their win whole from the season prior, making the playoffs for the primary time since 2019 earlier than dropping to the New York Knicks within the first spherical.
With a younger core of Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, and Ron Holland, the Pistons are anticipated to proceed to enhance, and Jaden Ivey will return from harm, serving to their playoff hopes.
Ron Harper Jr. has appeared in solely 11 profession NBA video games, enjoying in a single for Detroit final season, the place he scored 4 factors. Nevertheless, the Pistons solely have one decide within the second spherical of the draft, so Harper Jr. needs to be introduced again.
The Spurs, just like the Pistons, are on an upward trajectory. Constructed round Victor Wembanyama, it’s solely a matter of time earlier than they make some noise within the Western Convention, they usually might meet the Pistons within the Finals sooner or later.
Whereas carrying the Spurs’ draft hat, Ron Jr. took to social media to share a easy message: “Pistons in 6.”
Whereas Wembanyama is definitely the very best younger participant on both staff, maybe within the league, Detroit made the playoffs final yr, and the Spurs didn’t.
Whereas Cunningham made his first All-NBA staff final season, the Pistons haven’t emerged as a vacation spot. De’Aaron Fox and Kevin Durant made it clear that they needed to play subsequent to Wembanyama, and Cunningham doesn’t have the identical pull.
On high of that, Dylan is a lot better than Ron Jr., and was in comparison with Cunningham earlier than the draft. The Pistons have the benefit of enjoying within the weak Japanese Convention and have a vibrant future, however so long as Wemby can keep wholesome, the Spurs are merely in a greater spot.
Nevertheless, this yr’s Finals taught followers that being favored doesn’t imply a lot. Sure, the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder did win, however hardly anybody thought the Indiana Pacers would take the sequence to seven video games.
If the Spurs and Pistons meet within the Finals anytime quickly, count on the Harper household to be divided, though, in true Detroit vogue, Ron Jr. is filled with confidence, even whether it is unfounded.
