Dylan Harper earns All-Rookie First Team, Cedric Coward named among top five

cedric coward was among the five rookies named as the NBA announced Dylan Harper had earned a spot on the All-Rookie First Team on Wednesday evening. Harper reached the honor after spending most of the season coming off the bench for San Antonio, then forcing a bigger role into view with a postseason start on Monday night.

Harper's postseason jump

Harper made his first postseason start because of De'Aaron Fox's injury and responded with 24 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 steals in a double-overtime win. Harper said, "Means the world," and added, "I feel like not a lot of people get this experience to be a part of such a great organization, a great group of guys, and the locker room is great... I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I think this is kind of where I'm supposed to be, and just keep on just taking step after step."

For San Antonio, that game fit the way Harper's year has unfolded. Harper came off the bench for most of the regular season, then moved into a larger spotlight when the Spurs needed another ball handler alongside De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. Harper said, "Being around two great point guards and Steph and Fox, and kind of just picking their brain," and that he had to embrace the role earlier in the season when "everyone kind of didn't see the vision."

Top five rookies

The All-Rookie First Team announcement also placed Cedric Coward in a group with Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and V.J. Edgecombe among the top five rookies. Harper is the only player from that group still playing, which leaves his selection tied to current postseason production rather than only regular-season numbers.

Those numbers were strong before the playoffs, too. Harper averaged 11.8 points, 3.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game in the regular season, then lifted those averages to 14.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals in the playoffs.

For readers tracking the rookie class, the immediate answer is simple: Harper is on the First Team, and Cedric Coward is part of the top-five group that defined this year's vote. The award now leaves Harper with a cleaner individual profile while San Antonio keeps leaning on his place in the Spurs' three-headed guard group.