This week, ESPN released its list of the top 100 NBA players. The San Antonio Spurs had three players in the top 50: Dylan Harper (50), De’Aaron Fox (43), and Stephon Castle (38). It’s safe to assume that Victor Wembanyama will be in the top 1o, revealed later this week.
One player was notably missing from the rankings: Devin Vassell. Despite starting on an NBA Finals team, averaging 13.9 points while shooting 38.4% from three in the regular season, and making huge strides on the defensive end in the playoffs, Vassell was left completely off the list. Even Carter Bryant got a mention as a player who will probably be on the list next year.
Now ESPN is just one of many sites ranking NBA players, and is one of the only ones not to include Vassell (The Ringer has him at 65). Maybe this is an editorial oversight? If not, it’s one of the biggest snubs of this year.
Notable players who made the list over Vassell include: Lu Dort, rookie Caleb Wilson, Peyton Watson, Donovan Clingan, Coby White, and Fred VanVleet (who didn’t play a game last season). Dort is a particular head-scratcher, as he couldn’t stay on the court in the playoffs as his jump shot abandoned him and his defense failed to make a game-changing impact. Dort averaged 8.3 points while shooting 34.4% from three last season.
To validate upset Spurs fans about the snub on ESPN’s list: yes, Devin Vassell is undoubtedly a top-100 NBA player. He’s probably somewhere in the 70s to 80s. His combination of shooting, size, shot creation, and budding defense makes him one of the league’s more exciting glue guys.
Next year is a big season for Vassell, though. The Spurs will have a lot of attention on them after their Finals run last season. With players like Harper, Tobias Harris, Julian Champagnie, and Keldon Johnson all fighting for minutes, this will be one of the most competitive seasons San Antonio has experienced in quite some time, both externally and internally.
Vassell will be crucial to San Antonio making it back to the Finals in 2027. He’s one of the few players on the Spurs roster who can both shoot from deep and reliably put the ball on the deck and create his own shot. He’s the team’s best pull-up jump shooter. If he can maintain the level of defensive intensity he showed in the playoffs, this team could soar to new heights in the regular season.
One thing that could drive him to get there is the feeling of being underestimated. The Spurs need an edge this season after coming up short last year. Vassell playing with a chip on his shoulder is only going to make the team better. In the end, being left off the ESPN top 100 could be a good thing.
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