The Rented Airport Radisson Ballroom of Devin Vassell

[Raven]

Huge, if true

hugely massive indeed

[KingKev]

I suspect he will be rusty. I can see the frustration on his face from the sidelines and I hope he eases into things. He was very efficient last year but there is lots of room for him on this current roster to go full chucker.

I am going to fully hold this L. I hope to see the rest of his game expand especially
given his physical attributes but he definitely deserves a green light on the offensive end.

[cutewizard]

Welcome back First Officer

[spurraider21]

ive been really high on Vassell... but not liking what i've seen this year. i'll chalk it up to him not being able to fully practice with the team during camp and missing the first handful of games.

but right now everything he does is breaking the flow of the offense. and frankly, Chuck was right about him. he relies too much on tough shot-making. rather he put more emphasis on defense and let the offense come to him

[RC_Drunkford]

Devin will need at least 10 games to fit in. He hasn't played with none of these guys for the last 7 months, so he will need some time. He's out of position a lot on the court.

[CGD]

Too early still, but by game 10 of being back I’m gonna start getting concerned if he’s not back in the SL. If he’s one of the “core” guys, he needs to go out there at take it. Needs to make it impossible for the coaches to not start him by the quality of his play.

[John B]

Vassell is the best all-around scorer of the team, who can create for himself, shoot from deep and attack the basket. But he needs to stay on court. I’m starting to be concerned on him staying healthy

[The Truth #6]

I made a comment after his first game back that his first two possessions he immediately wanted to hero ball, which is sort of concerning in the bigger picture. But with Castle improving rapidly, and with Jeremy eventually coming back, the team will have more talent and he will, I imagine, have to take on a different role than what he had last year , which he seems to be still continuing more or less. It's not to say that he's an awful player or that he sucks or whatever, just that he's going to need to adapt like everyone else.

[Pauleta14]

I made a comment after his first game back that his first two possessions he immediately wanted to hero ball, which is sort of concerning in the bigger picture. But with Castle improving rapidly, and with Jeremy eventually coming back, the team will have more talent and he will, I imagine, have to take on a different role than what he had last year , which he seems to be still continuing more or less. It's not to say that he's an awful player or that he sucks or whatever, just that he's going to need to adapt like everyone else.

Coming back from a long absence is already tough and requires time, but doing it with a rookie coach and THAT roster is even tougher.

He'll be alright but I expect him to struggle a cple more games

[spurs10]

Was he out last night because of the b2b or is he injured?

[lefty20]

Was he out last night because of the b2b or is he injured?

No injury. Just b2b load management since he's coming back from a knee procedure.

[spurs10]

No injury. Just b2b load management since he's coming back from a knee procedure. Thanks, I was hoping so. Sounds like a tough injury to come back from.

[dn0774]

Pretty sure it was a foot procedure (surgery). I wonder how long the minutes restriction is expected to last and if the intention is to bring him off the bench until it is lifted. I think the sooner he is back in the starting lineup the better for building chemistry purposes.

[scott]

I was a little concerned with him coming back and slipping into ISO-hero ball tactics of the past, but it’s way too early to judge at this point.

I will say, however, if his game doesn’t take a leap (meaning we are seeing him fit seamlessly into the overall team dynamics at the high output level he has historically performed at) by the ASB, I’d put him on the table as well. I think he will eventually be exactly what we are hoping once he gets to that 10 game mark or so, but otherwise we really don’t have a need for a $27MM/yr hero baller and should shed ourselves of that. I don’t think that will happen though. Already seeing some nice glimpses of the return of the two man game with Wemby, and he’s just getting back in the flow.

[Mugen]

Devin has been fine offensively. Still trying to find his footing defensively but the team has collectively been crap on that end since Sochan went down.

His skillset is absolutely critical on this team. People saying they'd be open to trading him at some point don't realize how much of this team's issues are being masked by a 40yo CP3 tbh.

His contract is in line with "above average starter." The most concerning thing with Devin has and always will be his long term ability to stay healthy.

[couchman]

People forget that the two-man game with Devin and Wemby was one of the best things we had going late last year before Devin’s injury.
We also need someone who can create a shot or make a tough shot late in games.
Yes, Devin sometimes operates outside of the flow of the offense, but he’s also one of the few guys who can go get a bucket outside of that flow, which is a critical skill.
Who else on this team can do that? Maybe Castle?

[RC_Drunkford]

Devin is forced into a scoring role due to roster construction. He'll really shine once he becomes more of an offball player. Anybody remember the last time we were in the play-in? He was 7/7 from 3 just off catch and shoots.

[The Truth #6]

I don't think he's forced into the role at all, rather he's put a lot of work into his offensive game with his orchestrated two to three dribble maneuvers, and understandably he likes to try and execute them during a game. I have more confidence that Mitch rather than pop will hold him accountable to a team oriented game. And even if not, Victor's alpha status will eventually make people adapt around him.

[Pauleta14]

Vassell has shown the last 2 months of the season huge improvements in his court vision and passing, I'm not worried bb wise at all, he's on a good trend and let's not take for granted that he has one of the best JS in the league.

My only concern is his fragility and availability. Those are the only reasons I'd entertain him in a (big) trade.

[Chomag]

To bad he's a China doll, I hope to be proven wrong about that though

[Spurs Brazil]

https://x.com/tom_orsborn/status/1858956267126952258


That's the same knee he had surgery in 2023

[lefty20]

Out tomorrow with knee soreness.

Yeah, I'm very concerned about his long term availability, tbh.

[LeBowen]

I hate to say it, but if he doesn't stay healthy throughout this season, it should be time to move on.
His contract is great value for a healthy player, but if he keeps getting injured we're going to have to salary dump him. In that case, it would be better to trade him while he has positive value.

[Chomag]

Yep, I think its time to trade Vassell before the rest if the league catches on because the Spurs can't move forward any wondering if he is going to be there to play season after season. If this dude has all these ailments in his early 20's just think how he will be in his later 20's. That stuff does not get better as you age lol

[scott]

I'm old enough to remember when people were questioning Lauri Markkanen's durability

[Chomag]

I'm old enough to remember when people were questioning Lauri Markkanen's durability

It's hard to gauge durability when he never plays long enough to do so lol

[spurraider21]

he's 2-3 years away from entering his prime and he's under contract for 4 seasons beyond this year. his unavailability is frustrating (as was his performance in limited action this year), but "its time to trade him now" is premature unless he's part of a monster package for a superstar like giannis

by the time the last year of his deal rolls around, he'll still be making 27 mil per year, which is expected to be about 13% of the cap at that time... the equivalent of somebody making about 18mil right now. and that will be around the time you'd expect him to be peaking

[exstatic]

he's 2-3 years away from entering his prime and he's under contract for 4 seasons beyond this year. his unavailability is frustrating (as was his performance in limited action this year), but "its time to trade him now" is premature unless he's part of a monster package for a superstar like giannis

by the time the last year of his deal rolls around, he'll still be making 27 mil per year, which is expected to be about 13% of the cap at that time... the equivalent of somebody making about 18mil right now. and that will be around the time you'd expect him to be peaking

You mean like Collins? Because no one ever complained about his deal…

[spurraider21]

You mean like Collins? Because no one ever complained about his deal…
because collins played like dogshit. vassell when healthy is largely a force for good even if flawed.

yes, if 2028 Vassell is as shitty as the last 12 months of Collins he should be complained about as well

[exstatic]

because collins played like dogshit. vassell when healthy is largely a force for good even if flawed.

yes, if 2028 Vassell is as shitty as the last 12 months of Collins he should be complained about as well

Guess I should have used the blue sarcasm font.

[LeBowen]

13% of the cap doesn't change much for bad teams, but having another solid player on a contender can be the difference maker.

[ismael-robert]

If Vassell could stay healthy my prediction he'd leapfrog Hali would come true. His play this season has them questioning his value.

[scott]

It's just taken for granted on this website that Devin is a good defender, because that's what he was touted as when drafted... but in reality he's 13th Percentile in CraftedDPM over the last two seasons and is even worse to start this year, 7th Percentile in CraftedDPM. His CraftedDPM, DDarko, and DBPM have all gotten worse every single season of his career. He's even earned the dreaded "Sieve" badge on his CraftedNBA profile https://craftednba.com/players/devin-vassell

He needs, and deserves, more time this season... but there are a lot of things to be concerned about.

[ginobilized]

He feels like our best trade piece if we are looking to upgrade. Probably not going to happen, but, I hope the FO is scouring the market just in case.

[spurraider21]

It's just taken for granted on this website that Devin is a good defender, because that's what he was touted as when drafted... but in reality he's 13th Percentile in CraftedDPM over the last two seasons and is even worse to start this year, 7th Percentile in CraftedDPM. His CraftedDPM, DDarko, and DBPM have all gotten worse every single season of his career. He's even earned the dreaded "Sieve" badge on his CraftedNBA profile https://craftednba.com/players/devin-vassell

He needs, and deserves, more time this season... but there are a lot of things to be concerned about.
hes gotten worse on defense basically every year of his career

[SpursBills]

It's just taken for granted on this website that Devin is a good defender, because that's what he was touted as when drafted... but in reality he's 13th Percentile in CraftedDPM over the last two seasons and is even worse to start this year, 7th Percentile in CraftedDPM. His CraftedDPM, DDarko, and DBPM have all gotten worse every single season of his career. He's even earned the dreaded "Sieve" badge on his CraftedNBA profile https://craftednba.com/players/devin-vassell

He needs, and deserves, more time this season... but there are a lot of things to be concerned about.

I've been worried about his defense for a while now - I thought initially it was because of the offensive responsibilities he had but I'm starting to think that being a negative defender is who he is. The two biggest differences between a Lavine trajectory vs Middleton trajectory are defense and playmaking, and we'll see how much he progresses in that regard. If he's stagnant, then I'd think about moving him at the end of the season especially if he has a very good and efficient scoring season - a 24/4/3 season on efficient shooting might be able to get you Lauri if you package it with a 3 nice first rounders with swaps, since a young efficient high volume scorer on a reasonable contract will be a very appealing asset to the rest of the league that Danny can flip into further assets.

Get yourself an attacking guard (Jeremiah Fears my personal preference) in the draft, and now all of a sudden on offense you've got two attacking guards with size (Fears+Castle), two supersized wings who can shoot at high volume (Wemby + Lauri), and a mobile center in the dunker spot who does all the dirty work and rebounding that nobody else wants to do (Sochan). All of a sudden the lineup makes sense as you add rim pressure without sacrificing size or shooting.

On the other end, you've got a credible way of playing Sochan and Castle together to add perimeter defenders to Wemby's rim protection.

[scott]

I've been worried about his defense for a while now - I thought initially it was because of the offensive responsibilities he had but I'm starting to think that being a negative defender is who he is. The two biggest differences between a Lavine trajectory vs Middleton trajectory are defense and playmaking, and we'll see how much he progresses in that regard. If he's stagnant, then I'd think about moving him at the end of the season especially if he has a very good and efficient scoring season - a 24/4/3 season on efficient shooting might be able to get you Lauri if you package it with a 3 nice first rounders with swaps, since a young efficient high volume scorer on a reasonable contract will be a very appealing asset to the rest of the league that Danny can flip into further assets.

Get yourself an attacking guard (Jeremiah Fears my personal preference) in the draft, and now all of a sudden on offense you've got two attacking guards with size (Fears+Castle), two supersized wings who can shoot at high volume (Wemby + Lauri), and a mobile center in the dunker spot who does all the dirty work and rebounding that nobody else wants to do (Sochan). All of a sudden the lineup makes sense as you add rim pressure without sacrificing size or shooting.

On the other end, you've got a credible way of playing Sochan and Castle together to add perimeter defenders to Wemby's rim protection.

Get this man on the phone with Brian Wright immediately

[poopbox]

I've been worried about his defense for a while now - I thought initially it was because of the offensive responsibilities he had but I'm starting to think that being a negative defender is who he is. The two biggest differences between a Lavine trajectory vs Middleton trajectory are defense and playmaking, and we'll see how much he progresses in that regard. If he's stagnant, then I'd think about moving him at the end of the season especially if he has a very good and efficient scoring season - a 24/4/3 season on efficient shooting might be able to get you Lauri if you package it with a 3 nice first rounders with swaps, since a young efficient high volume scorer on a reasonable contract will be a very appealing asset to the rest of the league that Danny can flip into further assets.

Get yourself an attacking guard (Jeremiah Fears my personal preference) in the draft, and now all of a sudden on offense you've got two attacking guards with size (Fears+Castle), two supersized wings who can shoot at high volume (Wemby + Lauri), and a mobile center in the dunker spot who does all the dirty work and rebounding that nobody else wants to do (Sochan). All of a sudden the lineup makes sense as you add rim pressure without sacrificing size or shooting.

On the other end, you've got a credible way of playing Sochan and Castle together to add perimeter defenders to Wemby's rim protection.

If Devin averages 24/4/3 on efficient shooting there is no way you trade him for some bum like Lauri. You trade him for a player a tier or 2 above that, like a disgruntled Jaylen Brown or Jason Tatum.

I don't think I would trade Devin right now for Lauri right now, and I'm about two more Devin injuries away from wanting him traded.

[spursistan]

IF this is what he is now : a wildly inconsistent often-injured, 3rd tier shooting guard, i don't mind for the Spurs to start looking for a better option to surround Wemby via trade..

[Obstructed_View]

He's what he's always been.

[jeebus]

9th scoring option at best. Hopefully the Spurs can get a 2078 2RP out of him.

[BatManu20]

I've seen enough. Extend this man tbh.

1897132497395478880

[Spursfanfromafar]

Good game by Vassell. Now he needs to bottle it up and play within the system and his limitations. He has 20 odd games to do so as an audition either to remain in the team or to be trade fodder to get another Star/semi-Star for the Spurs.

[Seventyniner]

I've seen enough. Extend this man tbh.

:lol

Reminds me of this.

https://fadeawayworld.net/.image/t_share/MTg2MDQzNzQ4MTMwNDk3NjY1/thaddeus-young-graphic.jpg

[spurraider21]

1950650392800329846

[ginobilized]

1950650392800329846

Is he trying to send a message to Harper? The starting spot is mine, MFer!

[benefactor]

He swings like a basketball player:lol

And there's nothing like doing a little boxing to reinforce that Kobe Bryant mindset

[spurs10]

"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face."

[Spurs Homer]

Wemby shaolin and cassius vassell - i like it!

[Tyrone Jenkins]

Filler .

[Tyrone Jenkins]

He's what he's always been.
Is he though?

DV plays in 60 games a year. He shoots 37% from 3, 45% from 2 and 80% FT. His defense isn't good but I don't think that makes him an oft injured, 3rd tier SG. HoopsHype has him 29th best SG (clearly 2nd tier) in scoring. Perhaps his D brings him down a bit.

Of course, there are several better options playing today and I'm all for bringing in a more pure (and taller) 3-D SF of PF but IMHO he's not as bad as he's being put out to be on this board.

I will be glad when he's gone though...

[spurraider21]

what i would do to have Danny Green in this role...

[SPURt]

:lol

Reminds me of this.

https://fadeawayworld.net/.image/t_share/MTg2MDQzNzQ4MTMwNDk3NjY1/thaddeus-young-graphic.jpg
:lol and to think, we had a MJ/King/Bird/Magic type player for 26 glorious games

[mystargtr34]

He swings like a basketball player:lol

And there's nothing like doing a little boxing to reinforce that Kobe Bryant mindset

Haha yea it’s not much better than Stephen A Smiths boxing

[gilmor]

Comparing vassell with haliburton should be the benchmark. Haliburton was selected later than Vassell.

[Splits]

He swings like a basketball player:lol

And there's nothing like doing a little boxing to reinforce that Kobe Bryant mindset

Eatin that 2 piece

https://media.tenor.com/wCTS6HAI_FkAAAAM/chris-childs.gif

[KobesAchilles]

Eatin that 2 piece

https://media.tenor.com/wCTS6HAI_FkAAAAM/chris-childs.gif
one of my fav moments:lol

[Obstructed_View]

Is he though?

DV plays in 60 games a year. He shoots 37% from 3, 45% from 2 and 80% FT. His defense isn't good but I don't think that makes him an oft injured, 3rd tier SG. HoopsHype has him 29th best SG (clearly 2nd tier) in scoring. Perhaps his D brings him down a bit.

Of course, there are several better options playing today and I'm all for bringing in a more pure (and taller) 3-D SF of PF but IMHO he's not as bad as he's being put out to be on this board.

I will be glad when he's gone though...
Its been a while since I posted that, but I don't think I meant to suggest that I think he's an oft-injured third tier SG. The post above mine doesn't seem to be what I was responding to.

I do think he's what he's always been: a streaky shooter who doesn't play smart basketball, doesn't really contribute to winning basketball, doesn't play defense, and hasn't really improved.

That last one is the deal breaker. I will be glad when he's gone, and I think it would be addition by subtraction. The team has guys who want to step up and win alongside Victor. I've never gotten that vibe from DV.

[Ice009]

I really did like Devin, thought he would develop into a great player. I didn't think he'd ever be a number 1 option, but I thought he could be a really good number 2. Now, it's not even looking like that. If he stays and isn't traded, I hope he can turn the tables and reach some of that promising potential he showed a few years ago. I wasn't in the boat of looking to dump him at all costs, and I am interested to see how he does in a lesser role. If he can focus on specific areas like defense and off the ball shooting. If he can't improve on any of that this season, well, that would suck. The Spurs don't need him to be a primary creator/shot maker anymore.

[John B]

I really did like Devin, thought he would develop into a great player. I didn't think he'd ever be a number 1 option, but I thought he could be a really good number 2. Now, it's not even looking like that. If he stays and isn't traded, I hope he can turn the tables and reach some of that promising potential he showed a few years ago. I wasn't in the boat of looking to dump him at all costs, and I am interested to see how he does in a lesser role. If he can focus on specific areas like defense and off the ball shooting. If he can't improve on any of that this season, well, that would suck. The Spurs don't need him to be a primary creator/shot maker anymore.

I know it’s easy for fans to say but it’s harder for a player to accept being relegated a role player, when Devin was the 1st option just a few years back, and would really make a lot of difference money wise down the road. It’s not easy to take that Manu-role. But I agree, with Wemby, Fox, freshly minted ROY Stephon, overall 2nd pick Dylan, that being a “role player” seems fast becoming imminent. The question is Vassell’s willingness to play as a team player first over his individual pursuit. Everybody wants to be great, but eventually there will be a pecking order and accepting where one belongs