Spurs' Devin Vassell Headed for All-Star Season?

The hype surrounding the San Antonio Spurs headed into the season is understandably due to the arrival of rookie Victor Wembanyama, but the growth and development of guard Devin Vassell is another major story line to follow.

While Wembanyama will get a chance to shine in big moments, Vassell is currently the team's leader from a talent standpoint. With a natural scoring feel and a smooth jumper, Vassell would be the one to take the final shot until proven otherwise. He's San Antonio's second-biggest piece outside of Wembanyama, and will be vital to the team's eventual playoff aspirations.

Bleacher Report has similarly high praise for the former No. 11 overall pick, as the site listed him at No. 9 on the list of top 10 wings 25-or-younger with the highest ceiling.

"Devin Vassell's three-and-D chops once made him the 11th overall pick of the 2020 draft, but if his game hadn't expanded beyond that label, he'd either be lumped in the honorable mentions or excluded from this exercise," Bleacher Report wrote. "But his flashes of shot-creation, combined with perpetual improvement to that three-and-D game, are what could nudge his future closer to stardom than a strong supporting role."

If Vassell can take another leap and emerge into stardom, there's no reason to think he can't begin to border on being at an All-Star level, even though it might take a few more years for him to officially receive the honor.

Vassell finished last season with career-best numbers in points (18.5) and assists (3.6), though he played in only 38 games due to mid-season knee surgery that kept him out an extended period. After being sidelined for about two months, he came back to average 15.6 points in 30.1 minutes in the month of March.

His absence may have been a blessing in disguise. Had Vassell played for most of the year, it's possible the Spurs would have won a few more games, which could've hurt their chances at securing the No. 1 overall pick and landing Wembanyama.

You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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