Three games into the season, the Spurs are already leaning hard into an experiment, and Devin Vassell isn’t running from it. San Antonio has opened 1-2 while sticking with a starting group that puts Dylan Harper on the floor with Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox, a choice that has drawn plenty of attention because it pushed Julian Champagnie out of the opening five.
The idea, at least from the Spurs’ side, is straightforward: keep their best players together and let the pieces sort themselves out over time. Mitch Johnson has made that call despite the fact that the second unit, without a settled floor general, has struggled. Even so, there’s no sense of panic inside the locker room with 79 games still ahead.
Vassell, who brings the best shooting touch on the roster and plenty of defensive value, sees the growing pains as part of the package. He’s averaging 9.3 points per game on inefficient shooting, but his work in transition and his ability to handle some of the league’s better wings still matter. His plus/minus per 100 possessions is second on the team, trailing only Victor Wembanyama.
He’s also clear-eyed about what needs to improve. Vassell wants Wembanyama involved more often, and he didn’t hide that after the film session.
"It's definitely an adjustment," he said of playing alongside Harper, Fox, and Castle. "It's all working pieces.
I think that it's going to be great. We can all switch.
We can all guard. We can all push the ball off the floor.
It just takes time, and we've never really played with this lineup, so it's three games down. We have a lot more games to go.
I'm excited for it, but we've got to get Vic more involved. We talked about it in the film.
We'll see where he can get more touches, and we can help him out with rolling and getting to the basket, but I'm excited for it."
The bigger issue so far is that Wembanyama hasn’t been touching the ball nearly enough, and when he does get it, he’s often far from the basket. Having three point guards on the roster hasn’t solved the problem, and Castle is the only one who fits the true pass-first mold. The spacing has been tight, and it’s showing.
For Vassell, though, the assignment stays the same. He’s willing to fit whatever role the night demands, whether that means spacing the floor or taking on the toughest defensive matchup.
"I try to mold my game into whatever the team needs," he added. "If that's being a spacer, if that's being a dog on defense, whatever the case may be, whatever the team needs in that game, that's what I'm going to try to do."
In Other News...
Spurs Suddenly Have A Tough Decision Behind Wembanyama
The Spurs are still sorting through the early-season edges of their rotation, and the center minutes behind Victor Wembanyama are already drawing attention after two home losses in the first three games. Mitch Johnson singled out rookie Tarris Reed Jr. for the energy and defense he brought against Dallas, a useful sign for a team trying to find steadier footing when Wembanyama rests.
Luke Kornet entered the season looking like part of that backup equation, but Reeds early showing gives San Antonio a different kind of option to consider. If the Spurs want more resistance and activity in those non-Wembanyama stretches, the frontcourt mix may not stay fixed for long, and that is the sort of decision that can shape not just a game, but the rhythm of an entire rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Suddenly Have A Real Chance To Upgrade Around Wembanyama
Injuries to Anthony Edwards and Jalen Williams have turned the Spurs roster-building conversations into something more immediate, and it has them looking at ways to sharpen the group around Victor Wembanyama. The appeal is obvious: San Antonio needs more defense and more dependable shooting, and the kind of upgrades that once felt like long-shot ideas suddenly feel more plausible when the market shifts.
Two names that surface in those discussions are PJ Washington and Royce ONeale, each offering a different fit for what the Spurs are trying to build. Washington would bring frontcourt versatility, while ONeale would add another wing who can defend and space the floor, but neither idea is simple, and any move would still depend on player availability and approvals before it goes anywhere. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Have A New Frost Bank Center Feel Players Are Talking About
The Frost Bank Center has a different look these days, and it is the kind of arena tweak players tend to notice right away. San Antonio has installed a new lighting system that puts more emphasis on the court while dimming the seating areas, bringing the building in line with what many other NBA venues already do.
Luke Kornet has already picked up on the change and talked about how it alters the atmosphere inside the building, giving games a sharper focus once the lights go down. Coach Mitch Johnson, meanwhile, has not made much of the adjustment himself, which only adds to the sense that this is one of those subtle arena changes that matters more to the people on the floor than the people running the team. [Read more 🡒]