Devin Vassell NBA Draft Profile
Every team is looking for a lights out shooter in 2020. Devin Vassel is just that. Of all the prospects in this draft, Vassell would be the one who could find a role on every single team, including the Warriors. Vassell’s talents include his premiere shooting and great defensive skills, with being the best team defender in the class.
Devin Vassell is 20 years old and coming out of Florida State University. He’s 6’7 with a 6’10 wingspan, so he has the ability to guard up and down the lineup. His ability to shoot is one of the premier skills in this class full of players without many premiere skills.
He’ll probably be one of the players in this draft that will go higher in a redraft then he goes in the actual 2020 draft this November. Vassell is ready to show an impact on an NBA court from Day 1 which is going to be hard to say for other draftees in this class.
STRENGTHS:
Shooting
Team Defense
Basketball IQ
Vassell has the blend of 3&D that every NBA team needs. In college at FSU, he shot 41.5% from the 3 point line which means that Vassell is going to be game-planned for whenever he is on the floor because you can’t leave a shooter like that open. Vassell’s combinations of BBIQ and perimeter defense make him a coaches dream coming from a 20 year old fresh out of college.
Vassell has excellent anticipation and positioning on the defensive side of the ball. He blows up plays by thinking one step ahead of the offensive player. His communication is some of the best I’ve seen from a young player, which is probably one of the least talked about aspects of NBA defense. Most guys don’t communicate leading to open cuts, mismatches, and easy dunks.
WEAKNESSES:
Shot Creation
Free Throw Shooting
For the length of his rookie contract, it doesn’t seem like Vassell will be able to create much offense for himself. Vassell can at least do dribble pull-ups and has improved his handle in a short amount of time in 2 seasons at FSU. I think with NBA coaching, his handle will continue to progress to be a secondary creator in the prime of his career.
Vassell’s free throw shooting is not up to par with his three-point shooting for some reason. I believe in the worker that Vassell is and will put in the time to get that FT shooting up towards 80–85% in a few years.
Devin’s NBA Fit
In a draft full of better talent, Vassell would go late lottery, but with the sure thing that Vassell is, he will most likely go top 10 due to his skills. In my next mock I’ll have him slotted in that 7–10 range somewhere.
His skills are too good to pass up in this draft. Every team could use a defender and shooter like Vassell, so among the top draft prospects, I think Vassell will find a role on any team that takes him (even the Golden State Warriors, can you imagine him playing off Steph and Klay?).
My favorite landing spot for Devin would be in Phoenix playing alongside Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. He fits the mold of players that James Jones is looking for (see Mikal Bridges, Kelly Oubre, Cam Johnson) and would fit in seamlessly getting open looks alongside their wing shooters. The defense would be nasty too, playing Vassell-Bridges-Johnson with Ayton and Booker would be a phenomenal closing lineup for Phoenix.
Devin is one of my favorite players in this draft due to that combo of shooting and defense and I’m excited to see where he lands in the draft come November.
