Two Articles from The Ringer

[Seventyniner]

The first one is an offseason wish for each team. Here is the Spurs section.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2023/8/21/23829047/2023-nba-offseason-wish-list


San Antonio Spurs: Devin Vassell’s Star Turn

Since the Spurs officially brought Victor Wembanyama into their orbit, I haven’t been able to shake the idea of Vassell as the Khris Middleton to Wemby’s Giannis. Vassell is one of the great young midrange enthusiasts in the league, though he embraces the midrange without eschewing either efficiency or frequency from 3; he made a big leap in playmaking in his injury-plagued third season, making quick decisions and simple reads on drive and kicks and fully taking advantage of his shotmaking threat. Perhaps it’s a bit unfair to use Vassell’s 38 games in 2022-23 as a legitimate sample, but the statistical similarities (https://stathead.com/basketball/versus-finder.cgi?request=1&seasons_type=perchoice&player_id1=vassede01&p1yrfrom=2023&p1yrto=2023&player_id2=middlkh01&p2yrfrom=2016&p2yrto=2016) between his Year 3 breakout (at age 22) and Middleton’s Year 4 breakout (at age 24) are uncanny.

Vassell posted an image of an offseason workout with Kevin Durant (https://twitter.com/EraSpurs/status/1684990257761005585), who possesses the fully realized evolution of the skill sets Middleton has refined and Vassell is still tapping into. Under the slipstream of Wemby’s influence, this could be a huge Year 4.




I won't quote from the second one, too many Spurs mentions scattered about, but it's about how the new CBA affects rebuilding teams.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2023/8/15/23830832/houston-rockets-fred-vanvleet-2023-free-agency-cap-space-new-cba

Enjoy!

[spurs10]

That's encouraging about DV. What we all hope for.

[Dex]

That's encouraging about DV. What we all hope for.

I'm still reserved about it, but would love to be surprised.

Devin has some great offensive skills, but I worry that he has built his game in the DeRozan/Aldridge/Gay fashion (all guys he was a rookie with). He lives in the mid-range and works himself into difficult shots.

Sure, it looks great when they go in...but they still aren't efficient. Obviously sometimes you just gotta go out there and get a bucket, but that shouldn't be his steady diet on offense.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt since he was injured last season. As long as he stays healthy, it's all between the ears with him because he has the physical talent.

[exstatic]

I'm still reserved about it, but would love to be surprised.

Devin has some great offensive skills, but I worry that he has built his game in the DeRozan/Aldridge/Gay fashion (all guys he was a rookie with). He lives in the mid-range and works himself into difficult shots.

Sure, it looks great when they go in...but they still aren't efficient. Obviously sometimes you just gotta go out there and get a bucket, but that shouldn't be his steady diet on offense.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt since he was injured last season. As long as he stays healthy, it's all between the ears with him because he has the physical talent.

You don’t do well in the playoffs, as a wing, unless you can volume score in the midrange. You named some players, so now I will too: LeBron and Kawhi are are midrange monsters. In fact, almost all of the top scorers feast in the midrange.

Just as in baseball, efficiencies will be revealed over time. They went from the walk being everything in Moneyball to swinging at everything with the correct launch angle in the current day. Once NBA teams stopped defending in the midrange it became a hunting ground. The highest value shots are still 3 pointers and shots in the restricted area, but no one talks about two level scorers, they talk about three level scorers. That third level is the midrange.

[Dex]

You don’t do well in the playoffs, as a wing, unless you can volume score in the midrange. You named some players, so now I will too: LeBron and Kawhi are are midrange monsters. In fact, almost all of the top scorers feast in the midrange.

Just as in baseball, efficiencies will be revealed over time. They went from the walk being everything in Moneyball to swinging at everything with the correct launch angle in the current day. Once NBA teams stopped defending in the midrange it became a hunting ground. The highest value shots are still 3 pointers and shots in the restricted area, but no one talks about two level scorers, they talk about three level scorers. That third level is the midrange.

I don't disagree, but I want Vassell to show me those other two levels.

I'm too lazy to dig up advanced stats here, but he is a career 36.7% three point shooter (which is serviceable but not great, he seems to be progressing there based on last season), and I don't really recall him being a great or crafty finisher at the rim.

I'm not saying that he needs to abandon the mid-range shot because the talent is obviously there...I just don't want that to be his bread and butter. He can't always settle for tough, turn-and-shoot fadeaway jumpers when there are better options available.

[The Truth #6]

For me the concern is that he's playing an old man's game earlier than I would like. I do think he lost some vertical leap last year compared to his first year. Of course he gained other skills which is great. And I'm excited to see how it all works out for him next year with hopefully improved health. I'm guessing the Spurs want to see how he looks and check out his health before dropping him a bag. Just speculating.

[exstatic]

For me the concern is that he's playing an old man's game earlier than I would like. I do think he lost some vertical leap last year compared to his first year. Of course he gained other skills which is great. And I'm excited to see how it all works out for him next year with hopefully improved health. I'm guessing the Spurs want to see how he looks and check out his health before dropping him a bag. Just speculating.

I think they're delaying like they did Kawhi in 2014, to maximize their cap room next summer. His RFA caphold is like $17M, far lower than his new salary figure will be.

[rankingtear]

Devin shoots half of his shots from 3 and is being compared to DeRozan.

[Rocalcio]

I don't disagree, but I want Vassell to show me those other two levels.

I'm too lazy to dig up advanced stats here, but he is a career 36.7% three point shooter (which is serviceable but not great, he seems to be progressing there based on last season), and I don't really recall him being a great or crafty finisher at the rim.

I'm not saying that he needs to abandon the mid-range shot because the talent is obviously there...I just don't want that to be his bread and butter. He can't always settle for tough, turn-and-shoot fadeaway jumpers when there are better options available.

He was known as a great 3pts shooter before being drafted, I'm sure he will improve on this at the NBA level.

[ginobilized]

I believe it is very possible that Wemby changes everything about the spacing on offense.
Switching on Wemby is going to cause problems for defenses. Keeping a big on him is going to open things up a bit. It will take a while for Wemby to adjust to the NBA and for the team to adjust to him, but, they have the right coaching and system for this.
It is going to take opposing teams a minute to gameplay Wemby, too.

The mid-range is already where the most open shots are. Vassell should be the biggest beneficiary of more space. If he is improving AND has some extra advantages, it could very well be a big year for DV.

[exstatic]

He was known as a great 3pts shooter before being drafted, I'm sure he will improve on this at the NBA level.

He shot > 40% his two years at FSU, and a good FT%. It takes time to adjust to the longer distance, and faster closeouts in the NBA. His trajectory, .347,.361,.387 is very positive.

[MultiTroll]

I'm too lazy to dig up advanced stats here, but he is a career 36.7% three point shooter (which is serviceable but not great, he seems to be progressing there based on last season), and I don't really recall him being a great or crafty finisher at the rim.
34 36 38
Trending up!


Devin shoots half of his shots from 3 and is being compared to DeRozan.
Dex is going to the breakroom for his 2nd cup of coffee. Give him 10 minutes.


He was known as a great 3pts shooter before being drafted, I'm sure he will improve on this at the NBA level.
Trending up!

[exstatic]

I believe it is very possible that Wemby changes everything about the spacing on offense.
Switching on Wemby is going to cause problems for defenses. Keeping a big on him is going to open things up a bit. It will take a while for Wemby to adjust to the NBA and for the team to adjust to him, but, they have the right coaching and system for this.
It is going to take opposing teams a minute to gameplay Wemby, too.

The mid-range is already where the most open shots are. Vassell should be the biggest beneficiary of more space. If he is improving AND has some extra advantages, it could very well be a big year for DV.

I believe that Wemby will eventually become the NBA version of Randy Moss, a oversized skill guy that you just cannot match up with one on one.

[Dex]

Dex is going to the breakroom for his 2nd cup of coffee. Give him 10 minutes.


:lmao

I'll admit, I'm just speaking purely from the eye test here and would love for Devin to prove me wrong.

If he has a breakout year, it changes the trajectory of this team.

[J_Paco]

:lmao

I'll admit, I'm just speaking purely from the eye test here and would love for Devin to prove me wrong.

If he has a breakout year, it changes the trajectory of this team.

He had a 'breakout' season last year only hampered by a naggy knee injury and a lack of team success. You are acting like he's Jalen Green, who has shown little progress through two seasons, or something.

If Vassell can continue to improve his interior scoring, playmaking, and can get back to being a plus defender then he's a borderline All-Star + capable #2 guy, IMO.

[MultiTroll]

Devin has some great offensive skills, but I worry that he has built his game in the DeRozan/Aldridge/Gay fashion (all guys he was a rookie with). He lives in the mid-range and works himself into difficult shots.
A legit concern is that Grandpa will again feature some super ill advised scheme.

But I'm very optimistic that Spurs Org as a whole will see to it that going forward Gramps does not impede.

[J_Paco]

A legit concern is that Grandpa will again feature some super ill advised scheme.

But I'm very optimistic that Spurs Org as a whole will see to it that going forward Gramps does not impede.

The 'scheme' you are crying about - that hasn't existed in nearly 3 seasons (going from 30th in 3PA per game in '21 to 20th in '23) - was based on the natural shot diet of the key players.

Now, what you should be saying is that hopefully Vic, Devin, Malaki, Keldon, and Jeremy become varied in their shot diet and not mid-range dependent like DeMar, LaMarcus, and DeJounte (plus Tony before them).

I'm pretty sure the offense will be a "dumbed down" version of the beautiful game trying to get the best shot available. Plus, plenty of passing/ball movement and assists which the team has done a good job of continuing even while rebuilding (and without a "quality" starting PG).

[SPURt]

I believe that Wemby will eventually become the NBA version of Randy Moss, an oversized skill guy that you just cannot match up with one on one.
Great comp!

[rjv]

You don’t do well in the playoffs, as a wing, unless you can volume score in the midrange. You named some players, so now I will too: LeBron and Kawhi are are midrange monsters. In fact, almost all of the top scorers feast in the midrange.

Just as in baseball, efficiencies will be revealed over time. They went from the walk being everything in Moneyball to swinging at everything with the correct launch angle in the current day. Once NBA teams stopped defending in the midrange it became a hunting ground. The highest value shots are still 3 pointers and shots in the restricted area, but no one talks about two level scorers, they talk about three level scorers. That third level is the midrange.

i'd even add booker and KD to that list.

[MultiTroll]

The 'scheme' you are crying about - that hasn't existed in nearly 3 seasons (going from 30th in 3PA per game in '21 to 20th in '23) - was based on the natural shot diet of the key players.

I'm pretty sure the offense will be a "dumbed down" version of the beautiful game trying to get the best shot available. Plus, plenty of passing/ball movement and assists which the team has done a good job of continuing even while rebuilding (and without a "quality" starting PG).
:lol
Twas as recently as the season concluding with a 1 game Play Out on May 2021.
Featured Pets Patty, DeFrozen and LMA before his heart issues.

Yes, we all HOPE for a return to Beautiful Game in one fashion or another.
Make it happen Spurs ownership.

[Chinook]

I don't disagree, but I want Vassell to show me those other two levels.

I'm too lazy to dig up advanced stats here, but he is a career 36.7% three point shooter (which is serviceable but not great, he seems to be progressing there based on last season), and I don't really recall him being a great or crafty finisher at the rim.

I'm not saying that he needs to abandon the mid-range shot because the talent is obviously there...I just don't want that to be his bread and butter. He can't always settle for tough, turn-and-shoot fadeaway jumpers when there are better options available.

I think a part of that was the Spurs star-chasing in their development. Vassell has midrange talent, but like with Murray, Keldon, Lonnie and others, his developmental track seemed way more oriented to play-making offensive hub (to use a Teedsism) rather than him starting off learning role-player fundamentals. I am not sure if now having a star prospect, the Spurs change their approach. PATFO played a role in the team having relatively poor spacing -- especially in for a team that's been perimeter focused in basically every draft recently. They've selected guys who aren't necessarily great shooters, and many fans just assumed Chip would fix them. Then they wouldn't make fixing their shots the absolute top priority. That only encouraged them to find guys who were basically only shooters to fill those gaps, leaving more gaps in terms of other types of scoring and defense which justified further emphasis on drafting for those facets over shooting. If you look at this draft, we might be seeing it again with Cissoko. It might suggest Pop still believes in the idea that spacing can be outsourced to specialists rather than being allocated to every person on the floor. If that is the team's plan going forward, we might not see Vassell make the pivot to elite role-player some of us are hoping for.

The team definitely needs more star-level scorers no matter how good Wemby ends up being, so there's nothing wrong with seeing what Vassell might be and hoping he'll help fill that void. But I'm at least a bit concerned that Wemby's going to develop in a not-ideal environment if this is what Wright and hte rest of the FO is going to run with. Very obviously no, it's not time to panic or go doomer. This is one of the most exciting times ever to be a Spurs fan. However, it this is truly going to be an evaluation year for the organization, then the nature and soundness of the roadmap going forward and how that will play into their evaluation rubric are fertile topics of conversation. What is it ultimately going to mean to be a "keeper" in PATFO's eyes? Is it going to be their upside? Their immediate ability to contribute? Their fit with Wemby? Their contribution to the culture? There are real questions there, and we will have to see how the team approaches camp, pre-season and the first part of the regular season to get an idea of the answers.

[KingKev]

Middleton isn't the worst comp. It’s Vassell’s time to shine tbh. I hope his defensive game improves this season.

Looking at that article man we missed out on Jalen Duren. Could have easily found a way to snag both him and Sochan.

[JPB]

^
I would say compatibilty with Wemby should be the priority but what does it even mean?

- Shooting? Yeah ofc.
- Pick and roll, yeah surely.
- finishing a the rim? Also, consequently.
- Setting up Wemby correctly (entry passes, lobs)? Yup...

That means for example that Wesley's only chance to stick is to become a reliable 3pt threat, considering his limited playmaking and bad finishing abilities...

PS: Luka checks all the boxes, just saying.

[Dex]

I think a part of that was the Spurs star-chasing in their development. Vassell has midrange talent, but like with Murray, Keldon, Lonnie and others, his developmental track seemed way more oriented to play-making offensive hub (to use a Teedsism) rather than him starting off learning role-player fundamentals. I am not sure if now having a star prospect, the Spurs change their approach. PATFO played a role in the team having relatively poor spacing -- especially in for a team that's been perimeter focused in basically every draft recently. They've selected guys who aren't necessarily great shooters, and many fans just assumed Chip would fix them. Then they wouldn't make fixing their shots the absolute top priority. That only encouraged them to find guys who were basically only shooters to fill those gaps, leaving more gaps in terms of other types of scoring and defense which justified further emphasis on drafting for those facets over shooting. If you look at this draft, we might be seeing it again with Cissoko. It might suggest Pop still believes in the idea that spacing can be outsourced to specialists rather than being allocated to every person on the floor. If that is the team's plan going forward, we might not see Vassell make the pivot to elite role-player some of us are hoping for.

The team definitely needs more star-level scorers no matter how good Wemby ends up being, so there's nothing wrong with seeing what Vassell might be and hoping he'll help fill that void. But I'm at least a bit concerned that Wemby's going to develop in a not-ideal environment if this is what Wright and hte rest of the FO is going to run with. Very obviously no, it's not time to panic or go doomer. This is one of the most exciting times ever to be a Spurs fan. However, it this is truly going to be an evaluation year for the organization, then the nature and soundness of the roadmap going forward and how that will play into their evaluation rubric are fertile topics of conversation. What is it ultimately going to mean to be a "keeper" in PATFO's eyes? Is it going to be their upside? Their immediate ability to contribute? Their fit with Wemby? Their contribution to the culture? There are real questions there, and we will have to see how the team approaches camp, pre-season and the first part of the regular season to get an idea of the answers.

Well put. I think it will be very interesting to see where the future of guys like Vassell and Johnson goes...not to mention younger players like Sochan, Branham, Wesley, etc.

Heck, even Collins could be a very valuable piece moving forward...or he could be off the team in a year, who freaking knows at this point.

There was a time where some people around here thought Murray, White, and Walker were the future and now they are all playing for different teams. But the Spurs did a good job getting assets for them. It remains to be seen when PATFO really wants to put all their chips in the center of the table but I think that is still a good 2-3 years away at best.

[Uriel]

Vassell is going to be a star. We already know Keldon is a star. Some people on this board think Sochan could be a star. Hell, why not Tre Jones too? Our entire starting lineup could be composed of future all-stars.

[TD 21]

The rare member of the national media who realizes Vassell, not Johnson, is the crown jewel of the Spurs youth non Wembanyama division.

Vassell's biggest issue is the more underplayed one of primary options here for the past decade, which is an inability to get to the line (save DeRozan; lack of 3 for most of them sucked up the majority of the oxygen).

Given his lack of explosiveness, strength and tight handle, that's likely never changing, but it didn't prevent Middleton from attaining low-end star status on a champion and perennial contender.