In the 20-year draft, the thorn who held the highest signing in nearly 20 years surprised everyone, and selected defender Devin Vasell from Florida State University with the 11th pick in the first round.
After learning of this result, almost all Spurs fans said that they could not understand this wave of operations, after all, the Spurs guard line at that time was already able to put together two tables of mahjong, in such a crowded and deformed lineup, coupled with the Spurs' plan to cultivate rookies, many people thought that Vasell would be difficult to show his talent for a long time to come; and the Spurs' forward line was quite weak, the starting position could only have a solid KJ and Azan cameo forwards, and there was only one elderly Guy on the bench. This deepened the dissatisfaction of the fans.
With the Spurs in a revival phase, Popovich is happy to develop new players, who have been getting on the court shortly after the start of the season, and the playing time is gradually stabilizing; if they change to the previous one, the new man will definitely have to sit on the bench in the first season.
Vassell's tall, long, and excellent arm span show his great potential on the defensive end, known for his defense in college; on the court, although he was still a rookie in the NBA, his excellent defense still amazed many fans; and his offensive area was mainly concentrated on the three-point line, making fans wonder if Popovich wanted him to be a good 3D player like Danny Green.
But in the second half of last season, Vassell hit his rookie wall, defending aggressively but helplessly, the experience is far from those of the old players, and it is very easy to lose fouls; and his only offensive weapon, the three-pointer, has become increasingly unstable in the progress of the season, resulting in the abandonment of the second half of the season. When he first entered the league, he also felt the fierce competition, and he did not adjust back until the end of the season. But for the young him, fans still have unlimited expectations, and judging from the limited games, he has a great possibility of becoming the next Danny Green of the Spurs.
After the off-season, for Vassell still have to sigh that the lotto show is really fragrant! Since the start of the season, Vassell has averaged 11.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, shooting 43% from the field, and all the statistics have improved compared to last season.
In terms of offense, the score rose by 6 points, and he had initially mastered the god's weapon "mid-shot" with a single offensive means; with the improvement of his ability to hold the ball, his impact on the inside and the threat were also further increased. After White left, he also got more possession, more opportunities to express himself, and played beautiful games. Of course, his offensive skills are still relatively jerky, but there is an All-Star Big Brother role model in the team who breaks through and shoots in the middle, and his progress in this regard should not be worried.
The improvement on the offensive end may not only look forward to his future than Danny Green, he has a great possibility of becoming the "demon knife" next to Murray and leading this team forward together.
Defensively, he continued his form from last season, but due to his youthfulness and experience, he was prone to fouls against opponents. Moreover, he is relatively thin, and he is still quite a disadvantage to a certain extent against opponents who are physically stronger. But in the NBA, a strongly antagonistic league, it's only a matter of time before the body gets stronger.
After the All-Star, the Spurs also began a trip to the playoffs, although this team gave people a "half-dead" feeling, but compared to other teams, the Spurs have a great possibility of entering the playoff competition. During this period, Vassell will take on greater responsibilities and believe that he will perform better under such a heavy responsibility.