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Devin Vassell has reinvented his role for the San Antonio Spurs, becoming a critical part of their 62-win season and title aspirations. The sixth-year wing’s scoring average and usage rate have dropped significantly since his fourth year. His teammates now praise the substantive value of his new, more efficient role.
Rookie Carter Bryant watched Vassell work after practice, admiring his smooth midrange game. Bryant said he would love to look like that when he plays basketball one day. Vassell has been honing his craft in San Antonio since being drafted 11th overall in 2020.
Early in his career, it appeared the Spurs were grooming Vassell to be a star. Two games into his fourth season, he told reporters he wanted to take over and be the leader of the team. That year, he was second on the team in scoring, shot attempts, and usage behind rookie Victor Wembanyama.
Vassell has not become Wembanyama’s co-star, however. His scoring, shot attempts, and usage have dropped dramatically over the past two seasons. This shift followed the arrivals of playmaking guards Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper in San Antonio.
Instead, Vassell developed into a star in his role for a 62-win team. He averaged 13.9 points per game this season. His usage rate of 17.6% ranked sixth on the team.
Teammates talk about him as if he rejected a Marvel movie role for a prestige TV show part. Spurs wing Julian Champagnie said his current role has more substantive value than averaging 20-plus points on a cellar dweller.
San Antonio scored 121.3 points per 100 possessions with Vassell on the court. That was the best mark of anyone on the team. Lineups with Vassell but without Wembanyama fared better offensively than the inverse.
The same is true for Vassell’s lineups without Fox and Castle. The Spurs have a long history of asking players to sacrifice for the team. Unlike Manu Ginobili’s sixth man role, there is no award for Vassell’s reinvention.
Julian Champagnie said Vassell’s game is super versatile. His adaptation has been key to the team’s success. The Spurs now view him as an overlooked key to title contention.
