The San Antonio Spurs received some good news Friday. Fifth-year wing Devin Vassell is set to make his season debut versus the Utah Jazz. Vassell has been rehabilitating after having offseason surgery on his foot in June. He missed the first nine games of the Spurs season as the team currently sits with a 4-5 record. He was San Antonio’s second-leading scorer last year at 19.5 PPG and is the team’s most consistent three-point threat.
The news could not have come at a better time for the Spurs. They had just lost starter Jeremy Sochan to a thumb injury. Sochan is set to miss the next several weeks after undergoing surgery. The Baylor product had been playing extremely well, putting up career-highs in points (15.4), rebounds (7.7), and field-goal percentage (51.2). Sochan was miscast as the team’s starting point guard last season. His new role as a defensive-minded wing operating in the dunker spot offensively suited him well.
In more troubling news, the team has also been without Gregg Popovich as the iconic coach is battling an illness. It hasn’t been made totally clear what he’s dealing with, and no timetable for return has been mentioned. Popovich has been head coach of the Spurs since 1996 and turns 76 years old in January. Everyone around the NBA eagerly awaits his return to the sideline.
Vassell making his debut should open up the floor for the rest of San Antonio’s top players. Reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama is off to a slow start offensively. He’s taking (and missing) a ton of threes and shooting just 41.2 percent from the floor. In a perfect world, the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama would be playing closer to the basket and converting easier looks. However, the Spurs don’t want to stunt Wembanyama’s development in any way. If that means allowing him to make mistakes and learn from them, so be it. He remains monstrous defensively (3.7 BPG, 1.6 SPG) and the shooting numbers will eventually rise.
San Antonio approached the offseason wanting to add veterans to aid the young core. 39-year-old Chris Paul has played quite well thus far, averaging 11.1 PPG and 8.0 APG on his typical good efficiency. He can only do so much at his age, but Paul remains a steady guard who almost always makes the right play. It will be interesting to see if the Spurs hold onto Paul for the remainder of the year or trade him to a title contender. On the other side, former King Harrison Barnes has had a forgettable start. He’s currently averaging 9.7 PPG which would be his lowest mark since 2014.
The Spurs’ start has been up and down, and that was to be expected for a young team building for the future. Getting Vassell back into the mix will provide a huge boost as they embark on a major home stand, with 13 of their next 17 games set to be played in San Antonio.
