The Spurs had a strong preseason, winning all five of their games. Beyond the results, there were some really encouraging moments from key players who seemed comfortable with their roles and responsibilities.
Some, such as those tied to Victor Wembanyama’s outstanding performance, have been widely discussed. Others were less obvious but are nonetheless likely to have a positive impact. So let’s take a look at more underrated developments from this preseason.
Devin Vassell, in the right role as a secondary scorer
Vassell didn’t have particularly good numbers during preseason. Despite playing the most minutes per game out of everyone and getting on-ball reps early on, when the point guards were out, he posted a stat line of 12 points, four rebounds and three assists per game that is solid but unspectacular. His outside shot didn’t fall and he wasn’t as disruptive on defense as he needed to be to maximize his impact. What he did show was comfort in settling into the secondary scoring role he’s going to be asked to fill.
Vassell ran some pick-and-rolls to mix results, but he also got to fire without putting the ball on the floor coming off screens, cutting, or spotting up. He was dangerous in those situations. Even more encouraging were the times Vassell was on the weak side, received the ball out of a kick-out and attacked a moving defender, either getting all the way to the rim or looking comfortable launching a jumper.
It’s the role Vassell was designed to fill. He’ll surely run some plays as the main initiator, since he can do that. Still, he’s at his best as a secondary option, on plays designed to get him a shot without having to dribble, and as an opportunistic movement scorer who finds open space. He’ll get to do that this year.
Stephon Castle, letting it fly
Stephon Castle played just two games but launched eight threes. Only one of those came late in the shot clock, when he had no choice but to fire. The other looks came in the flow of the offense. Opponents, just like they did last season, helped off Castle. And just like he did last season, the young guard didn’t hesitate to launch threes to attempt to make them pay. The fact that he made three of his eight is good, but it’s even better than he simply has no problem taking them.
Opponents will undoubtedly continue to treat Castle as a non-threat from outside. He will get left open as part of the opponent’s game plan when he plays off the ball next to another ball handler. The concern was that a player who shot 28.5 percent from beyond the arc last season and will almost surely be a below-average outside shooter this upcoming season would stop firing out of fear of getting exposed or due to a lack of confidence. That cannot happen because it would destroy the rhythm of the offense, and Castle understands that.
The reigning Rookie of the Year was impressive in several areas in the two games he played. He knows his strengths. He also knows his weaknesses but refuses to be scared of failure as he continues to develop in a shifting role.
Luke Kornet, a ball handler’s best friend
Nothing Luke Kornet has done can be considered surprising. He’s a 30-year-old journeyman who, through trial and error, discovered his strengths and plays to them. The Spurs signed a proven commodity. Even the pairing with Wembanyama, which could have been considered tricky to execute on paper, was a seamless fit mainly because Kornet had played with other scoring big men in his Celtics tenure. He’s just a solid player.
It’s still great to see how much easier he can make ball handlers’ lives just by doing the little things. Kornet not only makes contact on screens to provide separation, but also sometimes slips them to become a passing target after them. He’s also a fantastic offensive rebounder who can turn misses at the rim into Kobe assists, as he is always there to get a putback when the defense focuses on the driver.
There was no question that Kornet was going to have a positive impact, but he went from a team that took as many threes as it could to one that would prefer to get to the paint. It looks like he has already adapted and could be even more important to San Antonio than he was to Boston.
