Scouting Notes

 

Devin Vasell fits the mold of the modern day 3 & D guy, but I think he’s capable of much more and is rising up my draft board...

 

Since this is an offensive strengths video I’ll first talk about his outside shooting..

 

3 point shooting

 

Vassell has been consistent in his 2 year college career from behind the arc. As a freshman coming off the bench, he shot 41.9% from 3 and in his breakout sophomore season he converted 41.5% of his 3s on 3.5 attempts per game...

 

He ranked in the top 87 percentile in catch and shoot situations scoring 1.22 points per possession while knocking down  38.5% of his contested 3’s according to Synergy Sports tech…

 

With floor spacing becoming more and more valued in the NBA, Vassell’s size, length and outside shooting makes him a top tier prospect that could help a franchise immediately..

 

 

Scoring off the dribble 

 

 

Vassell’s  scoring off the dribble is probably my favorite attribute about his game and why I believe he has a high upside as a scorer… He’s not really shifty or much of a slasher, but he’s a crafty scorer that can attack close outs or get to his sweet spots and knock down stop and pop J’s…

 

He has a reported 7 ft wingspan which allows him to elevate and shoot over the top of defenders... He has an effective setback he uses to create space and he has a knack for knocking down tough contested shots and soft touch finishes or floaters around the basket.  The next step is for him to tighten his handle and isolation game, which could be the difference between him becoming an All Star caliber player and a top scoring option on a competitive team. 

 

Passing

 

Which leads to my next offensive strength. I believe Vassell has high upside as a passer, I’m not sayin he’ll be the type of player that averages 7 or 8 assists per game, but I do believe he can develop into the type of player that hovers around 3-5 assists per game and can make plays for others with his high IQ. In his 2 seasons at Florida State, he posted a 2:1 Assist to turnover ration and had more assists in his sophomore season than he had turnover in his freshman and sophomore season combined…

 

Transition 

 

Vassell was one of the best transition finisher in all of college basketball last season and ranked in the top 94 percentile and converted nearly 71% of his fast break attempts.. He’s a smooth athlete that just glides down the court and covers so much ground with his long strides.. He has good body control What’s crazy is, Vassell often creates and starts his own personal fast breaks on the defensive end with his excellent defensive instincts and energy, but that’s a totally different topic…

 

Off the ball movement 

 

Lastly, I like Vassell’s energy and IQ as an off the ball cutter and shooter..  He’ll can catch defenders sleeping with back door cuts or pull up and shoot 3’s on the move… Also he does a good job of spacing the floor or relocating whether its to create a scoring opportunity for himself or to open a driving lane for a teammate..

​

Areas for Improvement 

​

I think Devin Vassell will have a long successful career as a  3 & D role player…. However, I think he has the potential to be much more than a complimentary player and could develop into an All Star..

 

Attacking the rim

 

IMO the biggest area for him to improve is as a ball handler…  He can shoot the 3 and the midrange but he doesnt really attack the paint or have much creativity off the bounce

 

He seems to have a two dribble limit… It’s either two dribbles and pull up or if the defender beats him to the spot its a two dribbles spin middle and pull up…

 

He only averaged 1.5 free throw attempts per game and only in his two years at..

 

Even when I look at past drafts, and looks up the numbers of guys who were projected as 3&D players, they still got to the free throw line almost twice as much as Vassell..

 

For example Jonathan Isaac shot 25 more free throws in his one season at Florida state than Vassell shot in his career… The closest comparison is Mikal Bridges who was under two FTA per game in his first two seasons at Villanova…

 

Avoiding Contact

 

He has a slim frame and will need to get stronger, and it is likely a reason he doesnt attack the paint… According to Synergy he shot less than 47% at the rim this season. He often looks to avoid contact and shoots akward looking touch shots instead of finishing at the basket… I like how he has a soft touch finish package in his arsenal, but think he relies on it way too much and bails out the defense..

 

Rafael Barlowe - August 12, 2020