<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/spurs-news-gregg-popovich-on-devin-vassell-jeremy-sochan-shutdown');   ga('set', 'title', 'Spurs coach Gregg Popovich hints at shutting down Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan for remainder of season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Gregg-Popovich-hints-at-shutting-down-Devin-Vassell-Jeremy-Sochan-for-remainder-of-season.jpg"></figure><h1>Spurs coach Gregg Popovich hints at shutting down Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan for remainder of season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-04-06T21:19:28-07:00">April 6th, 9:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-04-06T21:19:28-07:00">April 6th, 9:19pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a>A father of two over-energetic boys, Pao has been a writer for ClutchPoints for many years. His passion lies in all things NBA and he has a knack for speaking his mind in his articles -- even when at times it gets him into trouble with the fans. Controversial? Maybe. Excellent writer? Definitely.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-devin-vassell-undergo-surgery-disappointing-injury-blow" rel="noopener">Devin Vassell</a> has missed six out of the last seven games for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-early-2023-nba-free-agency-targets" rel="noopener">San Antonio Spurs</a> due to a knee injury. The same has been the case for Jeremy Sochan, who is also dealing with a knee issue, except that the 19-year-old has been forced to sit out seven straight contests for San Antonio. At this point, it seems that we’ve seen the last of both players this season.</p><p>On Thursday, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich all but confirmed the team’s plan to have Vassell and Sochan sit out their last two remaining games — Saturday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. It is worth noting that both the Wolves and the Mavs are still fighting for their place in the Play-In picture out West so Minnesota and Dallas fans will want to keep an eye on this development.</p><p>As such, it could be considered good news for Wolves and Mavs fans to hear that according to coach Pop, it’s going to be “tough” for both Vassell and Sochan to return to the court this season:</p><p>“Jeremy has got his knee problem and so does Devin Vassell,” Popovich said, via Spurs reporter Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “… <a href="https://twitter.com/tom_orsborn/status/1644134668931874818" rel="noopener">There are legitimate medical reasons</a> why some guys aren’t playing very much at the end of the year.”</p><p>Above all, however, it seems that the most legitimate reason for the Spurs to sit their key players out has a lot to do with Victor Wembanyama. Simply put, San Antonio has been trying to lose as many games as it can in order to improve its odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft. At the moment, the Houston Rockets (20-60) and the Detroit Pistons (16-64) are the biggest threats to the same for the Spurs and their 21-59 record.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich hints at shutting down Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan for remainder of season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/spurs-news-devin-vassell-undergo-surgery-disappointing-injury-blow');   ga('set', 'title', 'Devin Vassell to undergo surgery in disappointing injury blow for Spurs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Spurs-news-Devin-Vassell-to-undergo-surgery-in-disappointing-injury-blow.jpg"></figure><h1>Devin Vassell to undergo surgery in disappointing injury blow for Spurs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-01-05T17:05:58-08:00">January 5th, 5:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-01-05T17:05:58-08:00">January 5th, 5:05pm</time><address><a>Charles Taylor</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It has been a rough season for the San Antonio Spurs, but one of the few bright spots has been the play of guard/forward Devin Vassell.</p><p>What makes this spot even brighter is the fact <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/san-antonio-spurs-3-bold-predictions-2022-23-nba-season" rel="noopener">Vassell</a> has been able to produce battling through soreness in his left knee.  Sadly, the lingering pain is going to be enough to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1611138358213763074" rel="noopener">sideline him for the foreseeable future,</a> according to a tweet from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.</p><p>Per Wojnarowski: “Spurs guard Devin Vassell will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee, team says.”</p><p>Even for a squad that appears to be in tank mode, this is disappointing news for a player who has shown he could a part of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-x-way-too-early-bold-san-antonio-predictions-2022-23-nba-season" rel="noopener">Spurs</a>‘ plans for the future.</p><p>Preliminary reports say the procedure is likely to be minor, and no timetable has been announced for his potential return. Before being sideline with the injured knee, Vassell was averaging 19.4 points, four rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Currently in his third season out of Florida State, Vassell has shown enough progress to be a prominent part of the San Antonio attack during this campaign.</p><p>In Vassell’s absence, look for Malaki Branham and Romeo Langford to get see more minutes going forward.</p><p>The Spurs have a record of 12-26, which has them sitting in the 14th position in the rugged Western Conference. For those who are monitoring the watch to tank for the highest NBA Draft lottery percentages, San Antonio is sitting at fourth in the league, ahead of (or behind) the Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Devin Vassell to undergo surgery in disappointing injury blow for Spurs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/spurs-news-gregg-popovich-gets-vocal-on-rising-clutch-star-devin-vassell');   ga('set', 'title', 'Gregg Popovich gets vocal on rising clutch star Devin Vassell');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Vassell-and-Pop.jpg"></figure><h1>Gregg Popovich gets vocal on rising clutch star Devin Vassell</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-12-10T17:21:42-08:00">December 10th, 5:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-12-10T17:21:42-08:00">December 10th, 5:21pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Other</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The San Antonio Spurs pulled off a close win on Saturday, 115-111 against the Miami Heat, and it was third-year guard Devin Vassell who carried them home with two clutch jumpers in the final 58 seconds. Becoming the Spurs go-to player down the stretch of close games is a role that Vassell has been steadily growing in. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has also noticed his <a href="https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/Devin-Vassell-shoots-Spurs-to-win-over-Heat-17645425.php">increasing confidence</a> as per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.</p><p>“He’s becoming a very confident shooter,” Gregg Popovich said. “He wants the ball, he’s not afraid of the challenge. It’s fun to watch him.”</p><p>Earlier this season, Vassell <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-devin-vassell-nearly-sends-ja-morant-home-crying-after-insane-back-and-forth-game">had the chance</a> at a game-winner against the Memphis Grizzlies only to have his three-point shot come up short. Even then, he displayed the confidence necessary to be the one taking that shot in that situation.</p><p>This has been a breakout season for the third-year wing out of Florida State. Devin Vassell was drafted in the lottery by the Spurs with the 11th overall pick in the 2020 draft and he has been improving each season he’s been in the NBA. This season, he has been putting up 20.5 points per game, 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from the three-point line.</p><p>In a season during which the Spurs are in the hunt for the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes rather than a playoff spot, Vassell has been part of a solid young core including Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones and Jeremy Sochan, that have made the team competitive despite their overall record.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Gregg Popovich gets vocal on rising clutch star Devin Vassell

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/spurs-news-breakout-wing-devin-vassell-reveals-spicy-motivation-behind-strong-3-1-start/');   ga('set', 'title', 'Breakout wing Devin Vassell reveals spicy motivation behind Spurs’ strong 3-1 start');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Devin-Vassell-Spurs-Gregg-Popovich-Victor-Wembanyama.jpg"></figure><h1>Breakout wing Devin Vassell reveals spicy motivation behind Spurs’ strong 3-1 start</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-10-25T07:02:10-07:00">October 25th, 7:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-10-25T07:02:10-07:00">October 25th, 7:02am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>a film enthusiast. loves horror &amp; the coming of age genre. A24 fan. end goal is to write stories for movies &amp; television.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After trading Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks this past offseason, almost everybody expected the San Antonio Spurs to be mired in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. The Spurs’ dynasty began when they landed Hall of Famer Tim Duncan with the first overall pick in 1997, and no one would blame the franchise for attempting to catch lightning in a bottle 26 years later. But not if breakout wing Devin Vassell has anything to say about the matter.</p><p>In the Spurs’ latest 115-106 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, a game they led by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-neews-nba-twitter-cant-get-enough-of-tanking-san-antonio-blowing-out-timberwolves/">as many as 35 points</a>, Vassell continued his good run of form, scoring a team-high 23 points in addition to nine rebounds and seven assists. And all the talk about the Spurs bottoming out has fueled what has been such an impressive start to the season from the third-year guard.</p><p>Devin Vassell was adamant in his assertion that no professional basketball player steps on the court to lose games on purpose.</p><p>“I try not to listen to the outside noise, but I’m not going to lie, it does get frustrating when everybody is talking about tanking, tanking, tanking,” Vassell said, <a href="https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/Triple-take-Spurs-115-Timberwolves-106-17532067.php">per San Antonio Express-News</a> (subscription required). “We are professional athletes. We all want to play. We all want to win. And that’s how we are going to approach every game. We don’t look at anybody and say, Oh, we are going to lose this game, or we are going to lose that game. Hell, no. We are competing every day and that’s what we are going to keep doing.”</p><p>A lot of pundits were down on the Spurs because of their overall inexperience, with Devin Vassell and fourth-year forward Keldon Johnson suddenly being thrust into go-to-guy roles, and other players such as Tre Jones being given newfound responsibilities. But with Gregg Popovich at the helm, Vassell knows that one variable the young Spurs can control is the effort they put in night-in, night-out.</p><p>“As a young team, we can’t control us making shots and missing shots,” Vassell added. “But I think we can always control our energy and our effort on the defensive end, and that’s been our mindset these past three games.”</p><p>The 11th overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, Devin Vassell looks every bit of a player who’ll have a long, prosperous career in the NBA. At 6’5, Vassell’s combination of shooting and defense, to go along with the improved ballhandling and playmaking he’s shown thus far, should make him a fixture of the Spurs rotation for years to come.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Breakout wing Devin Vassell reveals spicy motivation behind Spurs’ strong 3-1 start

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, or Devin Vassell? Which Spurs rookie card is the best investment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Dejounte-Murray-Keldon-Johnson-or-Devin-Vassell-Which-Spurs-rookie-card.jpeg"></figure><h1>Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, or Devin Vassell? Which Spurs rookie card is the best investment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-03-22T06:22:32-07:00">March 22nd, 6:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-03-22T06:22:32-07:00">March 22nd, 6:22am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/julio.munar/" rel="facebook">Julio Luis Munar</a>Julio just revived his love for trading cards, which had been on hiatus since 1999. Using his degree in Journalism and an unbridled passion to learn how the card industry works, he churns out the latest news and opinion pieces about the hobby. He also possesses a treasure trove of knowledge on all things comics.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cards</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Even without a Hall of Fame-level star within their ranks, the San Antonio Spurs have played their hearts out all season long. Of course, Dejounte Murray’s All-Star leap is the most obvious takeaway here. While that’s a given, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell’s development has also played a crucial role in keeping the Alamo alive in the hobby.</p><p>While a good chunk of the hobby is focused on the usual names, such as Luka Doncic or Ja Morant cards, there’s a good case to be made for these young Spurs and their respective stocks in the market. We take a deep dive below which of Murray, Johnson, or Vassell should basketball card collectors go for first.</p><h2>The case for Devin Vassell rookie cards</h2><p>Devin Vassell’s jump from when he was a rookie to his role now for the Spurs as a sophomore is looking good. In his first season, the forward from Florida State only averaged 5.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench. While these numbers won’t catch anyone’s attention, it makes sense because DeMar DeRozan was still with the team during this time.</p><p>Vassell’s second year in the NBA has been a lot better than his first one. In the 63 games he has played with an average of 26.8 minutes each, the Spurs’ forward is posting 11.8 points on 42% shooting from the field and 34% from deep. He’s also making 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and a single steal per game.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>Again, these stats aren’t exactly All-Star level. But at some point during the season, Vassell comes out and shows everyone why he deserves to be in the NBA. In a match against the Miami Heat, the young star exploded for 22 points on 47$% shooting from the field and 50% from beyond the arc while making 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. And even though San Antonio lost 133-29, Vassell has shown why he deserves the starting small forward spot.</p><p>And speaking of starting, San Antonio’s recent move of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-the-celtics-spurs-trade-involving-josh-richardson-derrick-white/">trading Derrick White</a> to the Boston Celtics has bode well for Vassell’s young career. With White gone, the forward has been chosen to start for the Spurs’ last 14 games. Of course, it remains to be seen how Vassell would perform if given a full season as a starter.</p><figure><img src="https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/RREAAOSwZUhiJWT3/s-l1600.jpg"></figure><p>What’s sure here is that he’ll get sufficient time on the floor to boost his rookie card value in the market soon. As of now, the prices of his raw Prizm Silvers are way too affordable at a little more than <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/134054253646?hash=item1f3641944e:g:IooAAOSw~jdiMAZO">$4</a> on eBay. Looking at the bright side, this current price leaves a lot of room for growth if he potentially takes another leap next season.</p><h2>The case for Keldon Johnson rookie cards</h2><p>Keldon Johnson’s trajectory in the NBA has been a promising one ever since he entered the league three years ago. From averaging 9.1 points as a rookie, the Spurs’ forward has increased his production to 16.3 points on 46% shooting from the field and a very efficient 40% from downtown. Of course, this improvement didn’t just happen overnight.</p><p>During the last offseason, Johnson was called to be part of Team USA and won the gold during the Tokyo Olympics. As the current season started, the young star solidified his role as a starter after DeMar DeRozan signed with the Chicago Bulls. Since then, Johnson has quietly improved his shot creation, giving San Antonio another option on offense behind Murray.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>His evolution as an offensive threat can clearly be seen when the Spurs faced off against the Washington Wizards late last month. In that game, Johnson connected 50% of his field goals, 55% from beyond the arc, and all seven of his free throws to get 32 points in 46 minutes. That production helped San Antonio get the 157-153 overtime win over the Wizards.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">KELDON JOHNSON PUTBACK GAME WINNER! <a href="https://t.co/t2D9XrhEmh" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/t2D9XrhEmh</a></p><p>— NBA Quick Highlights (@NBA_QHighlights) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA_QHighlights/status/1505740848021094401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">March 21, 2022</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>While his performance against Washington was notable, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-keldon-johnsons-epic-putback-stuns-warriors-at-the-buzzer/">Johnson’s recent match</a> against the Golden State Warriors showed he can close out games as well. His offensive rebound and the subsequent putback to the rim helped the Spurs get the 110-108 win of the Dubs, which stunned the whole crowd inside Chase Center.</p><figure><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/cardladder-71d53.appspot.com/o/cards%2FtfPtKLCafBFcwInLLz1O?alt=media"></figure><p>With his improving game and notable performances this season, there’s no reason for Johnson’s stock in the card market to remain quiet anymore. In the event he breaks out next season, his PSA 10 Prizm Silver rookie card has a pretty good chance of going up from its current price of <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/284686568667?hash=item4248a44cdb:g:uK0AAOSwZUhiJPVG">$125</a>.</p><h2>The case for Dejounte Murray rookie cards</h2><p>It’s hard to imagine that during Dejounte Murray’s first season in the NBA, the then-rookie was only averaging 3.4 points in 8.5 minutes per game. After six years in the league, the Spurs’ point guard has become his team’s number one option after the departure of DeRozan.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>Murray’s leap can clearly be seen in the numbers he’s posting. In 63 games, San Antonio’s franchise player is notching 20.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.3 assists, and a league-leading 2.1 steals per contest. With these stats, it only makes sense for him to be named to his first All-Star Game, which serves as the affirmation of all his hard work on the court.</p><figure><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/cardladder-71d53.appspot.com/o/cards%2Fu7w8Ra675fQpXg6zoHUZ?alt=media"></figure><p>His evolution is definitely an inspiring one after playing limited minutes from the bench, tearing his ACL and recovering from it, and earning the trust of his franchise. With those details in mind, it only makes sense for his PSA 10 Prizm Silver to reach <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/165355058850?hash=item267fedf6a2:g:eewAAOSwwA5iGEYC">$470</a> in the market.</p><h2>The verdict on which of these Spurs stars is the best choice in the hobby</h2><p>White’s departure from the Spurs definitely opens up a lot of opportunities for Vassell. The sophomore is also an intriguing option due to his affordable card value and potential to be an elite 3-and-D wing for the Spurs. But of the three, he is clearly the most inexperienced and gets the least touches on the court.</p><p>Johnson, for his part, has what it takes to expand his game by improving as a scorer, playmaker, and defender. At this point in time, he has shown flashes of that potential but it still needs to be realized on the court on a consistent basis. The danger here is that there’s a chance he’s going to stay at his current level, or even regress.</p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/image_2021-04-27_225112-1024x574.png"></figure><p>But of the three, the best rookie card option to go for is no other than Murray. He has stepped up and become San Antonio’s number one option. It won’t be long before he notches triple-doubles almost every game. If he manages to lead the Spurs back to the playoffs, which is still possible in the coming years, collectors can expect the value of Dejounte Murray rookie cards to shoot up in the market.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2023-24 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
19.5	3.8	4.1	0.3	1.1

2023-24 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
19.5	3.8	4.1	0.3	1.1

Devin Vassell

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Breakout wing Devin Vassell reveals spicy motivation behind Spurs’ strong 3-1 start

Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, or Devin Vassell? Which Spurs rookie card is the best investment

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