{"id":140330,"date":"2026-05-26T22:52:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T01:52:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/why-spurs-devin-vassell-has-been-phenomenal-in-his-first-playoffs\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T22:52:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T01:52:44","slug":"why-spurs-devin-vassell-has-been-phenomenal-in-his-first-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/en\/why-spurs-devin-vassell-has-been-phenomenal-in-his-first-playoffs\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Spurs’ Devin Vassell has been ‘phenomenal’ in his first playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

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San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) protects the ball from Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) during the second quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Sunday, May 24, 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Devin Vassell’s impressive all-around play in the postseason came into sharp focus early in the Spurs’ 103-82 victory over Oklahoma City<\/a> when he fed Victor Wembanyama for a lob dunk seconds after blocking Jared\u00a0McCain’s reverse layup attempt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“I’ve been trying to be super disruptive, really good on the ball but also off the ball, and a leader on the court,” Vassell said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The sixth-year forward checked all those boxes Sunday in helping the Spurs snap a two-game losing streak to tie the Western Conference finals\u00a0heading back to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“His impact has been all over the floor in all kinds of areas and off the floor as a leader,”\u00a0Wembanyama said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Vassell finished with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 33 minutes. He was proudest of being part of a suffocating defensive effort that limited the Thunder to their fewest points in a game \u2014 regular or postseason \u2014 since Dec. 2, 2021 and just 18.2% (6 of 33) from 3-point range.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“That’s what we hang our hat on, the defensive end,” Vassell said. “We felt like those two games they won we just weren’t ourselves. We weren’t playing to a level we could. We were leaving them open way too much. So (tonight) we were in a lot of great rotations, guarding the ball and that helped us make them miss and get us out in transition.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Spurs guard Devin Vassell, on Game 4: \u201cWe knew we had to respond, and that\u2019s how you respond. You get stops. You don\u2019t try to focus on the offensive end. You get stops, you get out in transition, you guard your yard, and that\u2019s what we did.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/ABFtZpkszt<\/a><\/p>\n

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For the series, Vassell is averaging 17.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks while shooting 45.2% from 3-point range. Through 15 playoff games, he’s averaging 13.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals and nearly 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 36.5% from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“He’s been phenomenal,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “He may be our most consistent player if you took away any stats and just watched us play. His floor and ceiling may be the least margin.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Vassell’s strong play on both ends is a big reason why the Spurs are two wins away from a berth in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“We all know he can shoot the ball, but he’s been one of our better defenders, one of our better rebounders,” Spurs guard\u00a0De’Aaron Fox said. “He’s been extremely active, getting deflections, steals. He’s been one of the reasons we’ve been able to stay afloat or fight back in a lot of these games.”\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Vassell’s impressive postseason\u00a0reflects all the work he’s put in under Johnson’s guidance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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When he was an assistant coach, Johnson served as Vassell’s developmental coach after the Spurs selected the Georgia native and Florida State alumnus 11th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. After taking over as acting coach after Gregg Popovich suffered a stroke early in the 2024-25 season, Johnson pushed Vassell to become a better all-around player.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) flashes the three sign after dropping a three point bucket during the first quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Sunday, May 24, 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) blocks the shot of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain (3) during the first quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Sunday, May 24, 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) reaches for the ball during Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Sunday, May 24, 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) pulls up for a jump shot over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the third quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Sunday, May 24, 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) celebrates with the bench during the third quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Sunday, May 24, 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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San Antonio Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk (8) celebrates with San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) at the end second quarter with the Spurs headed to the locker room with a sizable lead over the Oklahoma Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Sunday, May 24, 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“It’s been personally for me really fun to observe him because when we first drafted him, he was kind of a, not to be lazy, but a three-and-D generalization is kind of the bucket he was in, and he’s developed into a heck of a scorer in this league,” Johnson said. “And at times when you are a young player it’s hard to increase your offensive load and still continue to put that same energy into defense.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“He probably went away from it a little bit, and now to see him have the two-way impact he has is very impactful for our team and very rewarding for someone who has been with him from his rookie year.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Vassell said it all boils down to effort.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Just playing as hard as I can,” he said. “I’ve said this for the six years I’ve been here, there are nights where you can’t make a shot. You can’t control that. But you can always control your energy, your effort. And I try to make sure my energy and effort are in the right place, whether that’s defensively, whether that’s getting a rebound, whether that’s encouraging my teammates. That’s infectious. Just\u00a0because you’re not making shots, you can’t can’t hang your head and be a cancer to a team. You got to bring positivity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“That’s the biggest thing for me a lot of games. My shot may not fall and that’s OK. But how else can you impact the game?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Vassell, 25, also benefits from the increased comfort level that comes with being the second longest-tenured current Spur behind seven-year vet Keldon Johnson.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“The biggest thing I’m doing now is playing with confidence,” Vassell said. “I’m sure of my game. I know when I want to get to my spots. I know when it’s time to lock in on defense, when it’s time to score, when it’s time to get a stop.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He also knows how to be a leader, something he showed from the podium after Game 4 when\u00a0asked what he’s learned in his first postseason.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“That experience does not matter,” Vassell said. “We’re here. We’ve had all the experience we’ve needed this regular season and we’re going to keep proving everybody wrong.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n