Rustyman wrote:I think what the last couple of Spurs wins without Wemby and Castle has proved is that the Spurs are probably a 35-38 win team without those two.
With Wemby and Castle, I predicted that the Spurs would win 50 games this year.
Assuming that both Wemby and Castle are back within the next 2-4 weeks, what does this board think the next Spurs personnel move should be?
For me it is Vassell for a 3&D player, whether it be for a high-end player like Trey Murphy III where we LEprobably have to attach a couple of firsts or whether it simply be a MLE level player + a young big. I would prefer this move happen earlier than later but what do others think.
Yeah Vassell came into the league as a defensive stalwart. Then in whichever year it was that a contract was looming he came to camp focused much more on scoring and in 2023/24he averaged 19.5/3.8/4.1. The points and assists stand as career highs and the rebounds have remained within that range.
In yesterday's game, and several others before it this season, we created some Vassell shots and got clanks early. Some games he stubbornly keeps taking 3s regardless of efficiency, others he drives very well and finishes through tough contests. Lately he's been making turning point level defensive impact, like clutch plays late in games and these have been huge for us. This is his identity and wheelhouse which he'd gotten away from to try and become more of a scorer. You want a guy to grow his game and can't blame him for focusing more on O in a contract year. But it feels like an imbalance occurred in our lean years when he was the default go to guy. Keldon has made the adjustments and accepted an important niche role, as has Sochan. Both their games are so important for us.
Devin though still gets prime option syndrome as some residual carry over from the lean years and though these were growing pains as guys tried to figure out scoring at the NBA level, it just feels like we're still stuck in growing pains rather than accepting, like Keldon and Sochan have, a specific role.
Even his own teammates looked off him late last night on O. In the last 3 minutes during our 11-0 run, he did not put up a shot. Defended well as he did all game, grabbed a board, dished an assist, perfect complementary role contributing to winning .
Trouble is consistency and confidence. He doesn't like contact on drives and so we do not get them consistently. The most he has averaged is 3FTAs a game, in that 2023/24 season.
His shot profile this season is about 43%/57% 2s and 3s, and of those 2s, he takes the most from 10-16', a habit he's shown his entire career except for 2023/24 when most of his 2s were from 0-3'. And that's fine I guess as a different type of threat and look defenses have to cover. It's just he's making the 10-16' shots at 48.3% (actually second highest of his career), but making 3s at just 34.7%, tied with his rookie year for lowest. Of course the highest efficiency is at the rim.
All of which is to say that in increased minutes, he's taking 1.7FGAs fewer than last season (3 fewer than in 2023/24), at worse efficiency in the shots he takes the most. I'd look up clutch efficiency but that would be an unnecessary cruelty.
I don't know if he is trying so hard to stand out on O given the pressure of his contact, but he's just not the second or even third option type (though sometimes he can be). Making smart clutch defensive plays helps his stock and takes pressure off needing to make O plays.
I'd love to pry Murphy III from the Pels but even they know what they have in him. 6"8', 25, 19.7, 6.8, 3.1 on 37.7 % from 3, gets to the FT line well, makes over 93% there, great defender, on a smaller contract than Vassell's. They've made some questionable trades but unless they value unprotected picks, and not ours but those we have from other teams, Murphy III is exactly the kind of player you keep.
Carter will hopefully become what we need at 3, but in the meantime the wheelhouse is TMIII or Avdija types. I like Santi's game, too.
Packaging Devin with whichever reasonable assets for a steady 3&D at 3 upgrade is the move now. We can't have an inefficient 13ppg at $27M 3rd/4th option who forces a 2nd / 3rd option role (he's 3rd this season with 12.2FGAs behind Wemby and Fox). Getting Fox was an acknowledgement that Vassell isn't the 2nd option to Wemby we thought he'd be. And that's ok. But paying more for less isn't. Even with better D this season, it's hard to have the O we're getting from an out of position at 3 player. (Then again, he way over dribbles and takes too long making decisions as a 2, so... ). More downhill drives, more elbow makes, no end of Q heaves, stellar clutch D. That's a better profile for him. He's still the likeliest trade candidate, but in the meantime we really need him to break some bad habits, for us and for him.
