PSO Scouting Report: G/F Devin Vassell

PSO’s original Scouting Reports strive to be uniquely valuable in evaluating a player’s future outlook by focusing on the four main subjects that summarize a player’s likelihood of succeeding at the next level including: Natural Athleticism, developed NBA-Caliber Skills, proven Production, and overall Risk that each individual player presents to a team drafting him. For a full breakdown of PSO’s Scouting Reports, click here.

Bio

Pos: SF/SG

Hometown: Suwanee, Georgia

Team: Florida State

Class: Sophomore

DOB (Age): 8/23/00 (Age 20)

Height: 6’7″

Weight: 194 lbs.

Facts to Know

Vassell was largely unranked as a recruit, receiving offers from only a handful of D1 schools
Went 7-7 from behind the arc in a career-high 27-point performance against Virginia Tech (1 of 2 games with 20+ PTS)
While committing to FSU, was told not to play in the ACC because he would be a “benchwarmer for 4 years”

Athleticism

Pros

Ideal height (6’7”) and wingspan (6’11” unofficial) for a wing defender in today’s NBA
Explosive off the ground when he gets in space, demonstrates good leaping ability and timing
Unassumingly strong; very lean frame but adjusts his body well on rebounds
Very quick feet on defense and engaged off the ball, knows how to move effectively through open space
Has closing speed and frame to make great contests; benefits from very active hands for deflections/steals/blocks

Cons

Makes the most out of frame, but will need to add muscle if he wants to become a more physical & complete player
Explosiveness is limited because he does not play well through contact, needs to be more aggressive & physically capable
On offense more of a straight lined runner, cannot run east-west well which isolates him around the perimeter
Knocked off his spot easily in the post due to lack of lower body strength

Grade: B+

NBA Skills

Pros

Plays with very high energy (FSU system is always this way) and an impressive level of defensive IQ
Demonstrated the ability to make difficult jump shots off the dribble and showed consistent range to be a 3-point threat
Fadeaway jumper is a legitimate move that he can go to when he needs to make something happen
Does all the little things right/naturally; closeouts, box outs, communication on both ends, floor spacing
Rarely plays out of control seems to know his limitations while doing everything he can to make his presence known

Cons

Does NOT play through contact; major hole in his game that will need to be adjusted so he can attack the basket
Developed his handle and shot off the dribble immensely as a Sophomore, but dribble moves still need work
Needs to implement more facilitating in his game or he’s stuck being just a shooter/scorer without much of an inside game
On-ball defense still needs some work, bites on pump fakes too much and reaction time isn’t always the best

Grade: B+

Production

Pros

Great offensive (126.9) and defensive (93.6) ratings; effective on both ends
Shot 41% from behind the arc on 3.5 attempts, great percentage on a good amount of shots
1 BPG & 1.4 SPG as a wing player despite not defending the ball the majority of the time
Low turnover (0.8) and foul (1.9) numbers; will not hurt the team with silly mistakes
56.5% effective field goal percentage, can score from all parts of the floor efficiently, something all NBA teams need

Cons

Scoring numbers are not very high, but that is just as much on Leonard Hamilton’s system at FSU as it is on Vassell
20.0 usage rate; Florida St.’s scheme never revolves around 1 player, but should be higher for a potential lottery pick
Very low assist numbers, even as a wing player should be averaging above 2.5 (only 1.6)
Low free throw rate (2.2 FTA per game); needs to get to the line more at his size

Grade: B+

Risk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ6YV5IyaTY&feature=youtu.be

Pros

A bargain if put in the right system, has the work ethic to play himself into any role, but is plug and play for a few teams
No ego, team-first mentality coming from a program like Florida State
Potential to be an all-defensive player, needs to add weight but all the intangibles are there
Will not need coaching on how to play off the ball, great team defender and knows how to play the wing in set offenses
No history of injuries and an underdog his whole career, was not a highly rated recruit coming into college
Intangibles are an A+ with a very high ceiling (albeit a low floor)

Cons

Shot form is a little strange and there have been recent videos of change in motion for the worse
Strength needs to be added throughout body, frame will support it but at least 15-20 pounds is needed to guard NBA players
Inconsistent scorer in college; 6 games with under 10 points, only 2 games with over 20 points
Doesn’t bring much playmaking, shot-creating, or facilitating to the table on offense; won’t make teammates better

Grade: B+

Overall

The rise of “3 and D” players in the NBA has caused a similar spike in the draft stocks of people that would have flown under the radar five years ago but now present teams with a valuable contributor. Vassell stands out the most in this class as one of these players. Coming out of high school, Vassell was relatively unknown, but after a breakout season in his sophomore year, the 20-year-old is skyrocketing up draft boards due to his potential as a “3 and D” rotation piece. His defensive ability is great with the potential to get better as he adds weight, and he demonstrated a high basketball IQ at FSU on both ends of the floor.

Although he does not have the form or mechanics of a knockdown shooter, Vassell’s numbers do not lie. He shot over 40% from behind the arc and has the ability to guard most positions on the floor. He can score inside the paint and has shown early stages of an isolation game which makes his ceiling even higher. He will be solid his rookie season, but if he is able to gain the necessary weight and get better, Vassell could end up being the steal of the draft. Coming into the year, he was projected towards the back end of the first round at the highest. Now he is being viewed as a late lottery pick at the very least with an arrow that’s still going up.

Pro Comp: Khris Middleton

Projected Round/Pick: Mid-lottery

Prime Destinations: ATL (#6), DET (#7), WAS (#9)

OVERALL Grade: B+