Long before the start of the college basketball season, most fans and experts agreed that Duke forward Cooper Flagg was the undisputed best prospect in the entire scene. But Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, the son of NBA legend Ron Harper, has made big strides for him this season.
We’ve seen how quickly things can change in this industry. In spite of Flagg’s outstanding performances, Harper has emerged as a new suitor in the potential first-overall pick in the NBA Draft.
With that in mind, NBA Draft expert Arya Chawla shared the three biggest questions Harper needs to answer to get the nod: How elite is he at getting himself downhill, how convincing is he as a non-rim scorer, and how advanced he is as a passer.
NBA Draft expert raises questions about Dylan Harper
“While he’s a potent slasher, Harper isn’t quite as proficient at getting himself downhill off-the-dribble,” he said. “With a handle and burst that fall short of elite, Harper must prove to scouts that he can become a high-volume downhill advantage creator in the NBA, rather than being limited to a spot creator.”
“Harper’s most worrisome statistical gap pertains to his shot-making struggles given he has converted only 23.5% of his non-rim, two-point attempts and just 31.0% of his tries from beyond the arc. In the modern NBA, star ball-handlers nearly always have to be threatening scorers from at least one level beyond the rim, so Harper must make meaningful strides in this regard,” added Chawla.
“This question is an important one for nearly every ball-handling guard, but especially to Harper. With other questions surrounding his scoring potential, the Rutgers guard can bolster his appeal as a creator through strong playmaking skills in both the two-man game and out of drives,” he concluded.
Fortunately, there’s still more than enough time for him to prove to the doubters that he’s as good as advertised — if not more. It’s a long shot, but he can still be the first guy off the board come NBA Draft night.