5 Beyond Wemby: Spurs' Devin Vassell's Health Is the Gateway to His Sky-High Upside

After missing two months of the regular season last year to injury, Spurs fourth-year shooting guard Devin Vassell is looking to return to the court for good this season, which will likely be the reason for his breakout season alongside No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama.

Working out with two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant is probably on the bucket list of the better part of young basketball players around the country. 

To some, it's a dream. Durant is their favorite player to watch and the idea of being in the same room as him, much less playing basketball with him is enthralling. To others, Durant is an NBA player, and playing basketball with an NBA player means that they have a better shot at making it to the league. 

And then there's San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Devin Vassell. 

To him, working out with Durant is likely an honor, yes. Training alongside one of the game's greatest scorers certainly has that effect, but more than that, it's an opportunity for Vassell to learn and improve ahead of his fourth season in the league. 

Devin Vassell in the lab with KD! 🧪🏀 pic.twitter.com/gDEei4kKyF

— Spurs Lead (@SpursLead) July 29, 2023

The young guard has enough experience in the league to know the ins and outs, and has proven just how dangerous he can be, but there still is a level of his game that's yet to be unlocked. 

Before he can reach that level, however, he needs to stay healthy. 

"I feel like I've shown when I'm healthy, I can play with the best of them," Vassell said last season of his potential. "I don't have any regrets from this season. Everybody in the organization knows that when I'm healthy ... the team [plays] a great game."

Health hadn't been a large issue for Vassell up until last season, when a knee injury resulted in a arthroscopic procedure, causing him to miss two months of the season. The missed time resulted in a period of thought for the shooting guard, who came back to the court and picked up right where he left off. 

On the season, Vassell averaged 18.5 points, 3.9 assists and a near 40 percent 3-point clip, marking the best stats of his three-year career. The rising fourth year wants to continue to find that success, which has led to his newest career goal: to never sit in back-to-back games ever again.

"It's a big thing for me to just be healthy," Vassell said. "This offseason is going to be big for me to [develop] a plan and making sure I'm healthy. I don't want to play half of a season, or sit and not play back-to-backs ... ever again."

"Never again" creates a tough task for the Spurs guard, especially if he intends to play a lengthy career. Vassell may not be able to guarantee that level of healthiness in just one season, but he can take strides towards it next season, especially alongside No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama. 

Vassell is a proficient scorer, meaning he's an easy option for Wembanyama to kick out too if he can nail down those kinds of passes as well as he does inside ones. The shooting guard now also has a 7-4 teammate to pass to on offense, which Vassell says is a part of his focus as he continues to develop.

"I think at the end of the day, playmaking [was a big goal for me]," he said. "I want to be able to get everybody involved. Not just me ... I want to be a complete player."

If that wasn't enough, Wembanyama brings with him a unique asset that Vassell can now look to when it comes to staying healthy and in game-form. Metropolitans 92 personal trainer Guillaume Alquier — the one partly responsible for Wembanyama's perfect attendance in France — is now officially on board in San Antonio, meaning Vassell can rest assured knowing his health is in good hands. 

The next step is for him to hold up his end of the bargain. And if he does, the Spurs can add another bona fide rising star to their list of go-to scorers this season.

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