After marching to the NBA Finals last season, it’s clear that the San Antonio Spurs are ahead of schedule. Victor Wembanyama is the best player in the world, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle are both on the superstar path, and there’s an excellent cast of role-players around them.
Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Tobias Harris, and Luke Kornet are all superb depth pieces. On most teams, they would either be starters or sixth men. On the Spurs, they can all play below their unhinging weight, allowing them to thrive.
While the Spurs added Harris and remain linked to some premier free agents, most of their needed improvement will be internal. Around Wembanyama, the Spurs are excellent in the paint. Slashers like De’Aaron Fox, Johnson, Harper, and Castle ensure that the Spurs will always attack the rim.
While wings like Champagnie, Vassell, and Barnes are all well-known shooters, the Spurs don’t really have a high-usage marksman on the team. Last year, the Spurs ranked seventh in 3-point attempts, but were 20th in percentage, at 35.7 percent. League average hangs around 36 percent, so there is room for improvement.
For the Spurs to take the leap from contender to runaway frontrunner, they need to improve their shooting. One player is the key to unlocking it all.
Spurs Must Get More From Devin Vassell
Heading into the season, Wembanyama, Castle, Fox, and Vassell seem to be locked into the starting lineup. If Harper makes a push, it’ll be Harris or Champagnie who gets bumped to the bench. Same if the Spurs manage to sign LeBron James.
Last season, Vassell’s role took a step back, but his play took a step forward. He averaged 13.9 points–the lowest since his sophomore season–but shot 38.4 percent from deep, the second-highest mark of his career.
With Wemby, Castle, and Fox leading the scoring punch and Castle and Wembanyama locking down opponents’ best players, Vassell was free to shine in a smaller role. No longer was he the point-of-attack defender or expected to be the leading scorer.
Instead, he could finally play the role he was meant to: very good fourth option on a great team.
His 3-point percentage was well above the NBA’s average, but between his volume and versatility, the Spurs need him to be the best shooter on the team. Harris, Barnes, and Champagnie can all be more efficient, but Vassell needs to make the most shots.
Last season, he had the most shots and the most makes. He can also pull up from mid-range off the dribble, which only adds to his offensive bag.
The Spurs, despite being worse than average, are not a “bad” shooting team, but they aren’t great, either. At this point, there isn’t really a high-level free agent who can reliably knock down 40 percent of his shots in the starting lineup. The Spurs can hope that Castle and Harper will take a leap, but they really just need Vassell to go from “good” to “elite” from behind the arc.
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