Social media can be so inspiring sometimes. As I was scrolling my feed, I came across a post from a fellow Spurs fan who made an astute point about a specific play that San Antonio should be prepared to eat off of all season long, and I vehemently agree with the assertion.
> Empty side PNR between Fox and Vic with Vassell in the opposite corner as help tags is going to feed families next season, for San Antonio.
>
> — Mr Ass (@JohnchoVilla) [September 11, 2025](https://twitter.com/JohnchoVilla/status/1966248361088135635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
San Antonio now has the right point guard playing alongside Victor Wembanyama to take full advantage of an action like the empty side pick-and-roll. It will be a headache for teams to stop, and if [Devin Vassell regains the form](https://airalamo.com/spurs-devin-vassell-problem-nothing-pure-fiction) we expect him to with a full offseason to train, it'll help the Spurs' offense take off.
Defenses will be put in a terrible position
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Now, in order for this to work to its fullest potential, San Antonio must have reliable shooters on the floor. That means Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Julian Champagnie, guys like that. Those are the ones I trust the most right off the bat, but it doesn't mean they'll be the only good shooters on the team.
I know that a ton of people are writing off Stephon Castle as some guy who will never develop his jump shot, but I don't believe that nonsense. That's a hardworking kid, and he knows what he lacks. That's why most of the videos we've seen of him training have been of him working on correcting it. If he comes along like we hope, the Spurs are that much scarier.
But back to the play in question. Putting Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox on one side of the floor with shooters spread out on the other side puts the defense in a bind. You'll have to rely on more than just two players to stop the pick-and-roll action because if you don't, somebody is getting loose for an easy bucket.
When Fox comes off the screen, his downhill speed puts pressure on a retreating big man who doesn't know if the speedy guard will go all the way to the basket or pull up for a midrange or floater. If you overcommit, you free up Wembanyama for an easy line to the hoop, or he can easily fade back to the corner for an open three-point attempt. So, you have to send another guy to help stop the drive and clog the lane.
That's where the benefit to Devin Vassell comes in. In that scenario, you kick it to the opposite corner where he's waiting to drill an open three or, at the very least, force the defense into a scramble drill. Dev is versatile, though, so he can swing the ball or he can throw a pump fake at a defender closing too hard, put the ball on the ground, and make a play off the dribble.
As long as he makes the right decision, the Spurs should win most of those possessions. It didn't work as well with Chris Paul because, at 39 years old, he couldn't put the same pressure on defenses. They didn't respect him enough to commit like that, and he couldn't make them pay often enough. Fox will make them pay.
Defenses can only try their best and hope the Spurs miss shots, and like my mother always told me when I was growing up, hope is not a strategy.