Dylan Harper gets brutally honest about how Gregg Popovich has sparked his development

Over the past year, people have come to realize that San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper has superstar potential. Of course, that is what got him to be the number two overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but he still managed to surprise a lot of people.

Now that he has a year under his belt, he has proved that he belongs as one of the top players on the Spurs. In fact, some people are even calling for him to be the starter over established All-Star De'Aaron Fox after their contrasting performances in the 2026 Playoffs.

Dylan Harper admits how Gregg Popovich has helped him develop

Since he is part of the Spurs organization, Harper has access to some of basketball's greatest minds. Gregg Popovich might not be the head coach anymore, but he is still involved in the organization as the team president.

That means he is still around most of the time with the players, so Harper is often a sponge for all of Coach Pop's tidbits of advice. In fact, Popovich is actually pretty involved in helping Harper develop into a better player.

MORE: Dylan Harper responds to the rumors of him having friction with De'Aaron Fox

Harper is lucky to have all the figures within the Spurs organization helping him. It is a great culture to develop in because he is getting valuable advice from a legendary coach, and he can hit up people like Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili when he needs to.

"He might know who I am better than I know who I am... Like in times where I might be a little passive or I might not be as aggressive... He will calmly send me texts like: 'No, like this is not how you’re going to play. You’re going to play like how we know you can play,'" Harper said about Coach Pop's impact in an interview with Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson.

That is a big deal for any young player, but for Harper, it shows that the Spurs really believe in him. It is good that he is getting such good support because it is clear that he, Stephon Castle, and Victor Wembanyama are the long-term future for this Spurs team.

More NBA news:

• De'Aaron Fox speaks on why working out together in the summer could help the Spurs
• Julius "Dr. J" Erving gives a massive co-sign to Victor Wembanyama
• Stephon Castle speaks on the adjustment from the regular season to the Playoffs
• Charles Barkley compares Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper to the Splash Brothers
• Victor Wembanyama is an unguardable player, according to Patrick Beverley