November 8 update: Vassell only missed two games, which is a bit odd considering some of the comments surrounding his injury. He’s going to make his return Wednesday against the Knicks. We’ll see if he’s on a minutes limit, but Vassell will be back for San Antonio.
November 3 update: Head coach Gregg Popovich expects Vassell to be out “a while” with the groin injury he suffered in Thursday’s game. Malaki Branham looks to be the natural fill-in play in fantasy/DFS lineups, but he’s unlikely to match Vassell’s hot start to the 2023-24 season. Keldon Johnson will also see more usage as the team’s primary offensive option now.
San Antonio #Spurs guard Devin Vassell is expected to be out “for a while,” per Gregg Popovich.
— Matt Guzman (@mattgzman) November 3, 2023
The Spurs’ leading scorer left the game in the first half and was later ruled out of the game entirely. Vassell is expected to get an MRI Friday to determine the damage.
San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Devin Vassell is out for the rest of Thursday’s game against the Phoenix Suns due to a groin injury he suffered at the end of the first half, according to the team. The Spurs have a big lead on the Suns, so the team can take extra precautions without risking a result in the contest.
Vassell is out for the remainder of the game due to left groin tightness, Spurs say.
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) November 3, 2023
He finished with 17 points on the strength of 3 of 3 from 3-point range.
Vassell was having an excellent game, going 7-10 from the floor and 3-3 from deep for 17 points. He’s had a strong start to the season for the Spurs, who gave him a big contract extension right before the 2023-24 campaign. Vassell, along with Keldon Johnson and Victor Wembanyama, hope to be the core that brings the Spurs back to prominence.
With Vassell sidelined, Johnson takes on a bigger role as a perimeter scorer. Malaki Branham, a combo guard, will also get more usage. We’ll get a better idea of how serious this injury is for Vassell on Sunday when the Spurs release their next injury report ahead of Monday’s game.