NBA Draft Bio: Devin Vassell

Road to the Draft

Coming out of Peachtree Ridge High School, Devin Vassell wasn’t expecting to play NCAA basketball at a major-conference school. A phone call from his AAU coach to Florida State assistant coach CY Young changed all of that. The native of Suwanee, Georgia had a good prep career, where he averaged 21.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.3 steals & 1.2 blocks while shooting .537% from the field as a Senior. Playing only 10+ minutes per game as a Freshman at FSU, he upped it to 28+ minutes as a Sophomore and averaged 12.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg with 1.4 steals & 0.9 blocks. He was named to the All-ACC 2nd Team, and made the mid-season top-15 list for the 2019-20 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, and was a Top-10 finalist for the 2019-20 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.

Strengths

At 6'7", 195 lbs. with a near 7'0" wingspan, Vassell has excellent size for a wing and is a smooth athlete with a well-rounded game. His natural athleticism allows him to play above the rim in transition and he is improving his ability to create his own shot in the half court. Off the ball, he has turned into a good mover that can score with a mid-range pull up, or get all the way to the rim with hard drivers and floaters – shooting 49.0% from the field. He showed extended range by shooting 41.5% from three-point range, making 1.5 threes per game, showing the ability to take high quality shots. Defensively, he is a versatile and impactful defender, and he rebounds well given his slender frame. He has a gritty, competitiveness side to him and combined with his athleticism and length make him a tough one-on-one defender. At almost 1.0 bpg at FSU, was able to protect the rim, too. 

Freshman: 41.9% 3FG off the bench
Sophomore: All-ACC Second Team

Watch Devin Vassell (@Yvngdevo) from @FSUHoops in the 2020 #NBADraft Wednesday at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN! https://t.co/Ec5YSiKy9L

— NBA (@NBA) November 13, 2020

Areas of Improvement

He obviously needs to add muscle to his frame. Any additional leg strength will only aid in his explosiveness and balance. For a player with such athletic ability, he only got to the free throw line 2.2 times per game, showing he lacks the drive to go to the bucket in half court sets. He doesn’t have the necessary playmaking skills at the moment to create shots for himself or others (only 1.6 apg as a Sophomore). His shooting stroke still needs work, as he shot just 73.8% from the FT line as a Sophomore and 67.9% as a Freshman. He has a nice, high release but his elbow tends to stick out to the side. 

Overall Outlook

Another 3&D-type player looking to get picked in the lottery, Vassell has the potential to be a productive NBA player. For the team that drafts him, it will be crucial that they implement a solid workout regimen and improve his shooting mechanics. If he can add pounds on to his frame, and become a more consistent shooter, look for Vassell to produce a solid NBA career. 

Photo Credit: Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire