The Spurs have many ex-players who would fit the title "fan-favorite." None more significant than Matt Bonner. That's what happens when you play in San Antonio and conduct yourself like an upstanding citizen for 10 years. After he finished playing, it didn't take long before he joined the broadcast team. Bonner is family. So, when he speaks, you listen and you respect his opinion.
However, that doesn't mean you have to agree with every word. The Red Rocket recently spoke on Sirius XM Radio about Devin Vassell and labeled him San Antonio's x-factor this upcoming season. "He's sneaky and super athletic on both ends of the floor," Bonner said. He's right about those things, and I think most fans would agree with him.
Where he was slightly off was when [he called Vassell "underrated."](https://x.com/SiriusXMNBA/status/1961821092558901353) I would argue that he's rated according to what he gave the Spurs last season. The opinions of Dev are all over the place, with loads of contempt held against his name. But that's just because the expectations were high and he didn't meet them. But his story isn't written, so he can still turn it around.
Vassell still has a chance to prove himself
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Let's not forget what the trajectory looked like for Vassell in his first few seasons. He went from 5.5 points per game in his rookie season, to 12.3 as a sophomore, and 18.5 in his third year. He added to that in his fourth, with 19.5. It just wasn't as big, but that's fine. That's when Victor Wembanyama entered the league and he became the number one option.
19.5 points per game for a 23-year-old second option is tremendous. But he was going into his fifth year in the league, and everyone was looking for him to have a breakout season. We just have to keep reminding ourselves that he didn't get a chance to work on his game like he wanted to last summer. The foot surgery he had at the end of June prevented him from doing that.
He couldn't even get healthy in time for the start of the season, [leading to an inconsistent year](https://airalamo.com/devin-vassell-dangerously-close-joining-absolutely-awful-group) and a ton of frustration. Wemby is so good already in just his second year; fans were looking for one of the guys who had been there for half a decade to come along for the ride. It didn't feel that way, and that led to the frustrations.
Hope that this year is different. He's healthy and he's been working. Dev should get back on track now, and if he does, Bonner is 100% correct about how important he can be for this team.