When Devin Vassell was drafted, he was taken in the lottery because of his two-way ability. But as Sam Vecenie noted on a [recent Game Theory Podcast episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLloOq8hp0U&t=4376s) with Bryce Simon, he's only really shown us a one-way player for most of his time in the NBA. His first year was solid on that end, but he's since regressed, and his defense needs to take another step.
Much has been made of San Antonio's decision to draft Vassell over Tyrese Haliburton that summer. Hali has turned himself into a bona fide star, and it all came to a head when he led the Pacers to their first NBA Finals appearance in decades. It's hard to predict who is going to be who when players go from college to the pros, but that's why the scouts and general managers make the big bucks.
Those criticisms are fair. But if we're going to be reasonable with our critiques, it's only right to look at the whole picture, and Dev shot over 40% from three in his sophomore year at Florida State. He was also fifth in the ACC in defensive box plus/minus, projected to be the quintessential three-and-d player, so the Spurs weren't jumping off a cliff by taking him. He just needs to get back to his roots.
Vassell has the tools to be who the Spurs thought he was
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The upcoming season is going to be critical for several players. It's a make-or-break season for Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and Dev, but we'll just focus on the former Seminole. He has the highest ceiling of all three players because of his versatility on offense, combined with the tools he possesses to be a strong defender.
He has a strong frame, lanky arms, and the athleticism to cover a lot of ground, get into passing lanes, and block shots. It isn't the first time we've seen a player's defense slip in favor of their offense, but that needs correcting here. This organization has always been about defense first, and that hasn't changed. He needs to be able to do both.
In his final year at Florida State, Vassell was 11th in steals per game and 15th in blocks per game in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He's gotten his fair share of steals in the pros, too. But he doesn't reject many shots, and he gets caught sleeping too much for anyone's liking.
He'll [start when the season](https://airalamo.com/spurs-devin-vassell-problem-nothing-pure-fiction) begins, and he should, but staying there will depend on his ability to recapture the original vision. More threes and more defense. That's the path for Dev.