Leonard Hamilton is known for going deep into his bench to play a heavy rotation. In his freshman season, Devin Vassell was one of those last few players who saw minutes under Hamilton, averaging 10 minutes a game. As a sophomore though Vassell burst onto the scene in a lot of ways, starting all 30 games for the Seminoles while also leading them in scoring at a modest 12 points per game. He showed a strong ability to shoot from the outside while playing excellent defense like most Hamilton wings tend to do. Three-and-D wings like Vassell are all the rage in the NBA right now as teams like the Heat and Lakers used those key role players to reach the NBA Finals. As basketball goes more and more positionless, players of Vassell’s ilk will continue to be in high demand with their ability to stretch the floor while guarding multiple positions on the other end. Let’s dive into why Vassell rose up draft boards all season. The 2020 NBA Draft has a talented player.
Devin Vassell video dropping at 5 PM EST. pic.twitter.com/njW12UJ1vB
— Robel (@robeltussin) October 12, 2020
Spot-Up Shooting
Vassell finished 37 percent of his possessions last season at Florida State in spot-up situations and cashed those at a 40 percent clip. He’s the definition of a three-and-D wing and he makes no bones about it. He’s a guy who shot 41 percent from three both seasons in college even after doubling his attempts this past season. That’s not to say he can’t create his own shot, something he showed an improved ability to do as the season went on. He began to show a pull-up and stepback jumper in the mid-range area.
Ultimately his game on the offensive ends begins with his ability to knock down the three-point shot. He has a high release point that’s above his head which coupled with his 6’6″ inch frame and 6’9″ wingspan makes for a shot that is tough to block. This release point allows him to get up shots other wings may turn down when a closeout is approaching. It also allows him the ability to pump fake and attack closeouts, something he is adept at, and where most of his shots sans-transition, at the rim come from. Early on in the league that is where the majority of his points will come from, spot-up threes, and the ensuing attacks of closeouts those opportunities will present.
Defense
Florida State year in and year out produces good defenses with the multitude of long wings and massive big men they roll out. To get on the floor for Hamilton you need a willingness to compete on the defensive end and Devin Vassell is a player who is committed to defense. He’s not a supreme lockdown defender but he is smart, instinctual, and does a good job acting as a team defender. He gives maximum effort on the defensive end, something you can’t say about most other 2020 draft prospects. In addition to the effort he gives, Vassell is also an excellent communicator off-ball and is a good help defender on cutters, drivers, and post-ups.
One issue that could be exposed early on in his career is his lack of strength, that’s an opportunity where many wings might take advantage of him. One would think with the extra draft prep time even with quarantining in effect that Vassell has bulked some since his sophomore season was cut short. Overall the team who selects Vassell is getting a nice three-and-D wing with the ability to grow into a guy who can go get his own shot.
Weakness: Handle & Ability to Create
I’ve mentioned already he’s shown improvement in this area but Vassell does have work to do to make this an aspect of his game he can count on at the next level. He only ended 11 possessions this year as an isolation scorer. At this time he’s much more comfortable coming off a screen as a pick and roll ball-handler and getting his own shot. With that high release point he has, once his handle is tightened up he should be someone who only needs to create a sliver of space to get that shot off. It’s not as drastic a weakness as some players have entered the draft but this is one in time he should be able to develop. In a few years, we could be talking about Vassell being a three-level scorer with the ability to create for himself if he continues to develop.
2020 NBA Draft Comparison: Khris Middleton
This may seem like a bit of a stretch but Vassell is closer to early-career Khris Middleton before Middleton developed the scoring arsenal he shows now for the Bucks. He shot in that low 40 percent range from three and was a solid shot-maker from the mid-range making 45 percent or better each year. We’ve mentioned already that Vassell’s mid-range shot creation is improving, and if that keeps developing it could become a key facet of his game similar to Middleton’s. This is a high-level comparison in that if Vassell puts everything together with his frame and shooting ability that maybe he ends up at this level. One thing about Vassell that many teams love is that he has an extremely high floor, one of the highest in the draft. If he can exceed that floor and settle closer to his ceiling, this is a comparison that could come to fruition. This is a solid comparison heading into the 2020 NBA Draft.
