Inside The Spurs

Spurs Starter, Wednesday, October 16, 2024: Devin Vassell Shares Injury Update

Your daily briefing on what's going on with the San Antonio Spurs, including news, draft and more.

Matt Guzman

Sep 30, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) poses for photos during Media day at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio.
Sep 30, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) poses for photos during Media day at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
In this story:

Happy Wednesday, Por Vida fans! Welcome to your afternoon Spurs Starter.

Prior to the start of training camp, it was announced that San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Devin Vassell was going to miss the beginning of the regular season, meaning he was also out for the preseason.

READ MORE: 21 Turnovers Cost Spurs Big, Heat Prevail at Home

That news wasn't mulled over for too long — the Spurs had to quickly shift to a next-man up mindset — but it was no secret that the fifth-year vet was going to be missed.

"Devin is Devin," Julian Champagnie said. "He's one of our main guys."

Luckily for Champagnie and the rest of San Antonio, Vassell seems to be on track to be cleared around Nov. 1, as originally anticipated. Just before tipoff between the Spurs and Miami Heat, Vassell took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to give a brief update.

Vassell's words can't be taken in place of an official team clearance, but does bode well for his recovery, as the Spurs prepare for their season opener against the Dallas Mavericks.

The shooting guard likely won't be good to go by then, but it might not be too long after that before he'll rejoin the squad.

Now, onto the headlines:

THE NEWS

1. READ: TURNOVERS COST SPURS BIG, HEAT PREVAIL AT HOME IN PRESEASON WIN

The San Antonio Spurs fell short again in the preseason, this time against the Miami Heat on the road as a result of self-inflicted wounds.

Read the full story at the link above.

2. WATCH: HOW CAN SANDRO MAMUKELASHVILI EARN ROTATIONAL MINUTES?

The Spurs have benefitted early from Sandro Mamukelashvili's strong play in the preseason, putting him in contention for rotational minutes. But what can he improve on? a long and successful career, the sharpshooter is calling it quits.

Watch the latest episode of Locked On Spurs to dive deeper:

3. READ: GREGG POPOVICH STILL UNDECIDED ON SPURS' STARTING LINE UP

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was not happy with the 15 turnovers his team had in the first half, but took time to assess his team's second-half performance.

Read the full story at the link above.

MEDIA DAY, TRAINING CAMP

Now that the Media Day is over and the 2024-25 season is set to kick off, you can check out the stories surrounding the team as it gears up for the beginning of the preseason.

- The Ultimate Guide to Spurs Training Camp

- Everything Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich Said at Media Day

- Victor Wembanyama is 'Funnier' as Spurs Prepare for New Season

- Chris Paul and Gregg Popovich, Once Rivals, Now Set to Join Forces

- Wembanyama Adds 25 Pounds Ahead of His Second NBA Season

- Chris Paul Enters San Antonio as Polished Veteran, Mutual Choice

- Keldon Johnson Is Back For Year 6, and Feels Like the Old Man

- Wembanyama 'Working on Fundamentals' Ahead of Sophomore Year

- Victor Wembanyama, Chris Paul Share Comical Moment During Media Day

- Gregg Popovich Looking Forward To Season of Improvemen

- Castle Impresses Spurs Early with Versatility and 'Own Pace'

- Wembanyama Sets Next Big Goal: Elevating His Spurs Teammates

- Alpine F1 Team Announce New Era Clothing Collaboration

- Gregg Popovich Likes New, Improved Victor Wembanyama

- Is Stephon Castle's Jump Shot A Genuine Problem?


- Jeremy Sochan Ready to Thrive at 'Natural' Position

- Will Julian Champagnie Start In Place of Devin Vassell?

- Zach Collins 'Feeling Great' After Shoulder Surgery

- Harrison Barnes Speaks on Young Spurs' Winning Mentality

- Castle Speaks on Spurs' 'Aggressive' Defensive Mindset

- Keldon Johnson Focused on Getting Better, Sticking Around

- Champagnie's Approach to Begin New Season? 'Just Keep Shooting'

- How Can Sandro Mamukelashvili Earn Rotational Minutes?

THE SCHEDULE

There are eight days until opening night of the 2024-25 NBA season, but the San Antonio Spurs have more to look forward to prior to that. The regular season schedule will be released at 2 p.m. Central, but the entire preseason schedule, the NBA Cup slate and the Christmas Day schedule has.

Below is a list of dates and start times (all in CST) for all relevant Spurs games:

San Antonio Spurs Preseason

Oct. 7: Home vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (L 112-107)
Oct. 9: Home vs. Orlando Magic (W 107-97)
Oct. 12: Home vs. Utah Jazz (W 126-120)

Oct. 15: Away at Miami Heat (L 120-117)
Oct. 17: Away at Houston Rockets (Tipoff 7 p.m.)

San Antonio Spurs Regular Season Schedule

Oct. 24: Season Opener at Dallas Mavericks
Oct. 26: Home opener vs. Houston Rockets

Nov. 15: Group Play Begins vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Dec. 10: NBA Cup Knockout Rounds Begin
Dec. 25: MSG Christmas at New York Knicks

Dec. 31: New Year's vs. LA Clippers

Jan. 23-25: Paris Games vs. Indiana Pacers

Feb. 3: Rodeo Road Trip Begins at Memphis Grizzlies

Feb. 14-16: All-Star Break

Feb. 20: Spurs Get Moody vs. Phoenix Suns
Feb. 21: Spurs Get Moody vs. Detroit Pistons

March 21: Longest Home Stand Ends vs. Philadelphia 76ers

April 6: Final Road Trip Begins at Portland Trail Blazers
April 13: Final Home Game vs. Toronto Raptors

AROUND THE NBA

Catch up on some of the league-wide headlines below:

Also, be sure to follow along with Spurs On SI's NBA tracker, with more detailed breakdowns of major league news and updates.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"If you played the whole quarter, it'd be 29 minutes."

- Gregg Popovich

THIS DAY IN SPURS HISTORY

October 16, 1973: After losing their first four games as the San Antonio Spurs, they finally notched a win by defeating the Virginia Squires 116-106.

THE CLOSER

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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