25-under-25: Devin Vassell is more important than you think

The San Antonio Spurs are going to be on your TV a lot this year and Devin Vassell is not the primary reason for that. But there's a pretty good chance he steals the show more than once when the Spurs are in primetime because even though he's not the main attraction on a fascinating San Antonio team, Vassell is primed to be a pretty vital piece of it. If you're unfamiliar with Vassell's game, now's the time to get educated.

Devin Vassell started his career on a Spurs team that also had DeMar DeRozan, Lamarcus Aldridge and Derrick White. Vassell is still so young and feels so new to the league that him crossing over between that bygone era of Spurs basketball and this new generation sounds impossible, but Vassell — the 11th pick in the 2020 Draft — acts as that bridge along with Keldon Johnson and Tre Jones.

Maybe that's why Vassell has slipped through the cracks of NBA discourse and stayed under the radar for years; he started his career on a team at the tail end of an era, and has survived serious roster turnover since then. Not only has he survived that turnover as well as multiple seasons of tank warfare in San Antonio, but he's managed to chisel his game in the process, coming out the other side — in 2024, the Spurs have some expectations placed on them again — ready to produce for a team that will be playing for something more than just ping pong balls.

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What does Devin Vassell do, exactly?

Everything, kind of. Through four seasons, Vassell has shown a nifty shooting capability, hitting about 38 percent of his 3s the past two years on almost seven attempts per game. In a San Antonio offense that lacked other offensive weapons, he rarely had space to operate, meaning he had to become comfortable taking contested shots, in both catch-and-shoot situations and off the dribble. He has indeed found comfort there, growing into a pretty versatile shot-maker in four seasons.

He's also developed an impressive driving and finishing profile. Vassell is long-limbed and lean, the type of player who doesn't look like he'd be bendy or capable of changing his plans in a hurry, but he is. Vassell's wingspan (6-foot-10) allows him to hoist floaters and contested layups over the arms of defenders when he gets into the paint, and he has impressive ball control in tight spaces for a player of his stature. He's able to keep the ball away from swiping hands and it's consistently surprising how creative he is with his shot attempts within 12ish feet.

While he's not a point guard, Vassell is showing signs that he can still be a high-level distributor. Already, he's in the 88th percentile of NBA wings in assist rate, and he's still not done justice by his raw assist numbers. Vassell will never post gaudy assist numbers, especially now with Chris Paul destined to take away much of Vassell's time on the ball. Still, Vassell can sling it. He's not a particularly flashy passer, but possesses a great sense of anticipation and can read defenses well.

Obviously, the Spurs will go as far as Victor Wembanyama takes them. But no matter how good Wemby becomes — and he might become as good as a basketball player can possibly be — the Spurs will need a high-level wing scorer flanking him, and Vassell has the tools to be that scorer. His scoring has increased each season, and so has his efficiency. A 57.8 true shooting percentage in 2023-24 was a career-high, even as Vassell's offensive role was the biggest it's ever been for a full season.

What does the next evolution of Devin Vassell look like?

The Florida State version of Devin Vassell was a two-way menace. He used his 6-foot-10 wingspan to be a disrupter on the defensive end, gaining a reputation as both an on-ball stopper and someone who can switch onto bigger forwards when necessary. The San Antonio Spurs version of Devin Vassell hasn't been quite that same defender — though he can't be solely blamed for that. None of the Spurs teams he's played on have been good defensively, and some have been woeful. It may sound strange to say, but when a team is as bad as defensively as San Antonio has often been in Vassell's tenure, judging individual players' defensive talent is hard to do because the whole team is out of sync on that end.

With Wemby in the mix along with rookie Stephon Castle, San Antonio's defensive floor raises considerably. Now's the time for Vassell to regain his reputation as a plus-defender, too. He has the tools to do so and he's shown before that he can defend at a high level. On a team that should be much improved defensively, Vassell's defensive acumen will hopefully be back on display.

We all know Wemby is going to take a leap next season. But next to a veteran point guard like Chris Paul, Vassell's development might be boosted just as much as his French counterpart's. Already a smooth and versatile scorer at 24 years old, Vassell is going to introduce himself to a lot of fans this season.

Devin Vassell ranked No. 17 on FanSided's 2024-25 25-under-25, ranking the best young players in the NBA. Check out the rest of the list here.