Devin Vassell’s shot has come back at exactly the right time for the San Antonio Spurs.
With the Spurs riding an eight-game winning streak after their blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers, the offense is humming on multiple fronts. Victor Wembanyama is producing like an MVP.
Dylan Harper is thriving in the starting lineup. And Vassell, after a sluggish opening stretch, has started to look like the player San Antonio has leaned on since drafting him in 2022.
That matters because Vassell has long been one of the Spurs’ most useful pieces. He’s moved comfortably between roles, at times carrying more of the scoring load and at others settling into a cleaner 3-and-D job. In the playoffs, his two-way value showed up in a big way, as he averaged 13 points while shooting 37.8% from three and grabbing 1.3 steals per game.
The start of the 2026-27 season was a different story. Vassell struggled to find his rhythm, especially from deep, and the Spurs felt it. Through the first eight games, he hit just 25.7% of his threes, a number far below the standard he’s set since the 2021-22 campaign, when he’s made at least 36% of his attempts every season.
That kind of dip is hard for this team to absorb. San Antonio’s offense is at its best when Vassell is stretching the floor, because his shooting changes how defenses can load up on the rest of the roster. His gravity gives more room to Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and Victor Wembanyama to work.
Over the last two games, though, Vassell has started to tilt the floor back in the Spurs’ favor. He’s averaged 17 points per game while knocking down 70% of his threes, and he’s paired that with solid defense.
Against the Sacramento Kings and the Trail Blazers, he mixed catch-and-shoot looks with shots he created off the dribble, and the results showed up on the scoreboard. San Antonio cleared 120 points in both games.
Those were also two of the Spurs’ sharpest three-point shooting nights of the season. They shot 50% from beyond the arc against Sacramento and 38.6% against Portland, with Vassell’s return to form playing a major role in both outings.
His impact hasn’t been limited to offense, either. Vassell has been active on defense, pressuring ball-handlers on the perimeter and jumping passing lanes for steals. That work has helped fuel San Antonio’s transition attack, which has been among the best in the league.
In Other News...
Spurs Suddenly Have A Devin Vassell Decision That Could Shift Everything
Devin Vassells status has become one of the more important pregame storylines for the Spurs as they get ready to face the Suns. He is listed as questionable with left adductor tightness, and that matters because San Antonio has already been leaning on his scoring and spacing while trying to settle into a rhythm. Vassells recent shooting has also been part of the conversation, making his availability more than just a routine injury note.
If he cannot go, Julian Champagnie is expected to slide into the starting lineup, which would give the Spurs a different look on the wing. That kind of adjustment can ripple through the rotation quickly, especially against a Suns team that will punish any offensive timing issues. For San Antonio, the question is not only whether Vassell can suit up, but how much the lineup changes if he cannot. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Gets A Chance To Silence One Spurs Rivals Confidence
Dillon Brooks has been willing to talk like he has Victor Wembanyama figured out, leaning on the early matchups between the two to make his case. Most of those meetings came when Wembanyama was still in his rookie year or just into his second season, which matters now because the Spurs center is not the same player he was then. He has added strength, sharpened his decisions and put together a strong season that looks a lot more like the version San Antonio expected when it drafted him.
That is what makes the next meeting so interesting from the Spurs side. Brooks may be carrying confidence from what happened before, but those results do not automatically travel with him when Wembanyama is playing with more physicality and a clearer sense of how to control a game. For San Antonio, it is a chance to see whether one of the leagues most outspoken defenders can still bother a player who has already shown he can keep evolving past old scouting reports. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Spurs Showed One Unbeaten Trait Fans Should Notice
The Austin Spurs opened their home slate at H-E-B Center with a 115-103 win over the Laketown Squadron, and the early signs of cohesion were hard to miss. JaKobi Gillespie set the tone with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Terry Taylor supplied a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds as Austin kept its unbeaten start rolling.
For a team still settling into the season, the bigger takeaway may be how comfortably the Spurs are sharing the load and dictating the pace in the first week. At 2-0, they head into their Tip-Off Tournament matchup with the Memphis Hustle carrying momentum, and a chance to show whether this balanced start is a real early-season trait or just a strong opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]