Can Devin Vassell return to form?
Devin Vassell can still turn the tides on his offensive struggles to compete for a spot in the Western Conference Playoffs
SAN ANTONIO- Fifth-year guard Devin Vassell recorded 23 points on 9 of 18 shooting (50%) and 5 of 9 from three-point distance (55.6%) in the Spurs 126-102 win over the Lakers on Monday night in Crypto.com Arena. Prior to that, Vassell had struggles offensively during the past few games, and the Spurs need him to be the consistent scorer that they are used to.
The former Florida State Seminole is recording the third-lowest points per game in his career at 15.6 a night. He missed the first nine games of the season recovering from the stress fracture in his right foot that didn’t heal properly in the offseason. Over the last 10 games, Vassell has been in a slump shooting the ball with averages of 14.8 points on shooting splits of 37.7% from the floor and 29% from three-point distance.
Vassell started his 2024-25 season by coming off the bench and being placed on a minutes restriction of 25 minutes per game. In his return against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 9, he started off hot with 21 points on 8 of 13 shooting (61.5%) in just 22 minutes of play. Vassell has looked more comfortable coming off the bench this season with 16 points per game on shooting splits of 47.1% from the floor and 40% from three-point distance.
Vassell earned a five-year 146 million-dollar contract before the 2023-2024 season and his recent slump has put the Spurs in a tight squeeze on the offensive end of the floor. Second-year center Victor Wembanyama is currently fourth on the NBA’s KIA MVP ladder and the Spurs are 4-6 over their last 10 games. If Vassell can’t get back to the player fans are used to seeing, then there could be questions about how expendable he can be in the trade market.
There’s a significant gap in the scoring numbers between Wembanyama at 25.1 and Vassell at 15.6. While San Antonio has seven players averaging double-digit, there’s yet to be a true second star paired next to Wembanyama. With Vassell’s slump over the last few weeks, it’s worth questioning if he could be the second-best player on a contending roster.
There’s been plenty of speculation about Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox after the firing of former Kings head coach Mike Brown. Many expected the Kings to blow it up with Fox potentially on his way to San Antonio, but Sacramento just went on a seven-game win streak that ended Tuesday night after falling to the Milwaukee Bucks 130-115. If the Kings continue to improve in the win column and compete for a spot in the postseason, then the odds of Fox packing his bags could continue to drop as the season goes on.
Given the circumstances, some may see the Spurs lacking a true second star to compete come playoff time. There are plenty of pieces in play, but the Spurs are one elite player away from becoming a contender in the Western Conference. Vassell has yet to prove he is fit for that consistent role this season from an offensive standpoint, but there’s still plenty of time to step into the spotlight.