Spurs’ Gregg Popovich on Devin Vassell: ‘He has been exceptional’

Just three games after returning from a lengthy absence, Devin Vassell produced one of his finest performances of the season to help lead the San Antonio Spurs to a victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Vassell recorded 13 points, three rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes off of the bench in the 109-99 win. He finished the contest by shooting 5-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. His 13 points mark the second-highest total of the season.

“He’s really a bright young man,” Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said. “He has a great personality, good teammate, he absorbs things. Being a rookie, (with) no real training camp or Summer (League) and then the COVID, he’s been exceptional.”

Of course, Vassell missed six games recently due to health and safety protocols. He returned on Friday, scoring eight points in a win over the Orlando Magic while he went scoreless in a blowout loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

The 11th overall pick has shown flashes throughout the season on the court. He has proven to be a strong player on both ends of the floor and is constantly studying film and look for ways to improve.

“I talk to a lot of the assistant coaches every day trying to figure out the plays, trying to figure out where I need to be on defense,” Vassell said. “At the end of the day, it’s a crazy schedule and there is not that much practice time. When Coach Pop calls your name, you can’t be lost. You can’t be looking around, you have to know exactly what you’re doing.”

Vassell will likely continue to need some more time to return to full strength after missing time due to the health and safety protocols. However, once he can get back into a rhythm again on the court, he figures to continue to turn in strong performances each night off the bench.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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