Victor Wembanyama may be the talk of the town right now, but Dylan Harper made a statement in his debut in Dallas, too. The second overall pick outplayed Cooper Flagg, taken one pick ahead of D. Harp, in the ex-Duke star’s welcome to the NBA game at home. It should have been enough to get some buzz started for ROY, but VJ Edgecombe stole all of the bees. (See what I did there?)
Edgecombe was taken third in the 2025 draft by the 76ers, and he announced his arrival with 34 points on 50% FG and 39% 3PT, and he did it against the Boston Celtics in a win. He also grabbed seven boards, dished three assists, and nabbed a steal.
What’s striking is the number of shots he took. Philly brought Joel Embiid back for the first time in what feels like forever. He and Tyrese Maxey are still the best players on that team, but they let VJ eat with 26 attempts. A usage rate that high with the kind of scoring potential he showed against what should end up being a really good defensive team will be hard to overcome for Harper.
Harper will have to make the most of his opportunities
Wembanyama and Stephon Castle are the past two Rookie of the Year winners, and it was obvious early on that they’d get the award. It’s not going to be nearly as easy for Harper. Vic, De’Aaron Fox, and Stephon Castle are going to take the majority of the shots. There won’t be enough attempts in a game for Harper to routinely put up big numbers, so efficiency will be key.
Starting off by going 50% from the floor is a great start for Harper, going 7-14 against the Mavericks and their jumbo lineups, but as I just noted, Edgecombe also went 50%. So, who can be more consistent with their efficiency will be important. Defense will also play a factor, and Dylan is the larger player, giving him a chance to guard more guys playing different positions.
Cooper Flagg is also going to be a factor. The Spurs may have ruined his opening night, but he’s a hooper, and he’s going to be there in the end. However, if Dallas insists on using him as a point guard, that may hurt his chances. I have no doubt that he’ll have occasional success because he’s that talented, but he’s not a point guard, and this is the NBA. Throwing guys out of position doesn’t usually work that well long-term.
Harper’s path to winning Rookie of the Year is open, but the path is narrow. I didn’t even bring up Tre Johnson. He’ll be another young dynamo to watch out for. If the Spurs’ first-year guard wants to make history by making San Antonio the first team in league history to win it in three consecutive years, he has his work cut out for him.
