2020 NBA Draft: A deep dive into Devin Vassell, a surefire first-round pick
By Cody Larson
Devin Vassell’s role projections
With all that is Devin Vassell, the pros and the cons, laid out in front of the microscope; what does his professional DNA look like? What can NBA teams, when drafting him, expect from the gate?
In a vacuum, Vassell brings these already discussed things: versatile defense, elite shooting, and elite transition scoring. He will be what one could call an “easy bucket getter.” His ability to shoot off-the-catch or off-a-few dribbles, as well as his ability to score efficiently downhill, are ways of scoring that don’t take away anything from his teammates.
They are, perhaps, “effortless points;” and that’s not a bad thing. They’re quick and efficient avenues of scoring; there’s real value in being able to do that at an elite level, which Vassell can do. On the other end, he will be much more complex, in a nutshell, given all that he can do.
He should legitimately be able to hold his own guarding most players slotted from the one-to-four and should thrive as an off-ball defender in passing lanes. In time, he could be one of the better switching hustle defenders in the NBA.
Devin Vassell pro comparison: Mikal Bridges
When thinking of a player who best visualizes Vassell’s projected game, Phoenix’s young wing Mikal Bridges is one of the first names that come to mind.
Bridges is another lengthy defensive-minded wing who has thrived for the Suns scoring off of similar “easy buckets” the way Vassell did at Florida State. On defense, he uses his length and athleticism to thrive on-ball and in the passing lanes. On offense, he thrives as a transition scorer and as a “safe” decision-maker (similar to Vassell).
Bridges also has plenty of upside as a shooter, yet despite being four years older, he doesn’t possess the same shooting prowess as Vassell.
Bridges is seen as an ideal role player in the NBA; Vassell could, and should, fit into the same department. Whether or not he can level up beyond that will be seen at a later time.
Devin Vassell ideal team: New Orleans Pelicans
Every team technically has room in abundance for a player like Bridges and that will be the same case for Vassell when the 2020 NBA Draft arrives. His defensive versatility and 3-point shooting are arguably two of the most valuable traits in the league; every team will want a piece of that.
The team who should want Vassell the most though, are the New Orleans Pelicans. As a team, their top-2 ways of scoring are via spot-up shooting (22.5 percent of the time) and transition offense (17.6 percent of the time); Vassell’s two go-to strong suits.
With ball-heavy players like Zion Williamson, Lonzo Ball, and Brandon Ingram already present; Vassell would comfortably fit into a role best suited for him: being a high-level off-ball shooter who can distribute most of his energy on the defensive end instead. Having a visionary passer like Lonzo and a dominant inside presence like Zion would let his catch-and-shoot game thrive (imagine, as a defender, having to decide between helping on a posted up Zion or not letting a wide-open Vassell camp at the 3-point line; it’s a lose-lose situation for the defender).
Also, imagine a fully-fledged transition offense manned by Lonzo who is sided alongside both Vassell and Zion. The opportunities for that downhill trio would be endless and scary.
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On the surface, Vassell is everything one would want in an NBA prospect. Florida State coaches like Leonard Hamilton and Charlton Young saw that a long time ago; the rest of the world is only now catching on. “He’s a pro,” Young told Hamilton back when Vassell was just a skinny, unranked from Georgia.
Fast forward and he is now a surefire first-round selection in the 2020 NBA Draft; after diving deeper into his game, even that might be an undersell.