The Spurs dropped a heartbreaker to Minnesota in their 2021 Las Vegas Summer League debut. And while returning to San Antonio with a trophy from the league’s annual extravaganza would be nice, final scores hardly matter in the grand scheme of things.
At its core, Summer League is a unique showcase of blossoming talents announcing their arrival and journeymen clinging to the fringes of NBA existence. These athletes are often unfamiliar with each other, and they only have a matter of days to get in sync.
As you might expect, this concoction of players with drastically different backgrounds and goals makes for a somewhat sloppy product. Yet this controlled chaos is where franchises and fans get their first idea of how they fared in the drafting process.
Less than two weeks ago, PATFO bet on an 18-year-old out of Alamba by the name of Josh Primo with the 12th overall pick. And the previous year, they invested the 11th pick on Devin Vassell, a lanky swingman with divine defensive instincts and a smooth shooting stroke.
Don’t forget about Tre Jones or Joe Wieskamp, San Antonio’s most recent second-round selections. All four prospects suited up for the Silver and Black on Monday to varying degrees of success, so let’s dive into their performances as they find their footing in Sin City.
Devin Vassell (23 Points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers on 6-of-16)
Devin Vassell had the greenest of lights in Salt Lake City, and it appears head coach Mitch Johnson fully intends on getting the 20-year-old wing as involved in the offense as possible. The Florida State product took a team-high 16 field goal attempts, and though his shots weren’t falling in the first half, he found other ways to build some momentum.
Before we gloss over his struggles, let’s talk about why Vassell had such a hard time generating offense for himself. As encouraging as it was to see Devin patiently utilize screens to get to his spots, almost every one of his midrange jumpers fell short. When tasked with creating off the dribble, it was clear he still has work to do on diversifying his dribble package.
Despite the critiques, Devin played the role of a go-to scorer as well as you could hope coming off a rookie season in which he saw inconsistent minutes as a low-usage off-ball threat. Vassell put pressure on the rim in transition, getting to the line eight times by the end of the night. He also picked off a pair of passes, turning defense into fastbreak opportunities.
Speaking of defense, that’s very much Vassell’s strong suit at this point in his career. His awareness as a team defender is absolutely off the charts for someone who can’t legally buy a drink. His ridiculous length, combined with his quick feet, allows him to make calculated gambles in the passing lanes without leaving teammates exposed.
Josh Primo (8 Points, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 4 turnovers on 3-of-11)
The first word that comes to mind with Primo is potential. And the second word that comes to mind is inconsistency. The 2021 lottery pick wasn’t at his best in his Las Vegas Summer League debut. But as we’ve discussed many times before, patience and perspective are the keys when it comes to dissecting the Canadian teenager.
His on-ball reps left me both starstruck and frustrated. There were times where he strung together wildly impressive dribble combinations that left his defender turned around. There were possessions where he whipped wicked one-handed live-dribble passes that some veterans would never dream of trying.
He also did too much and paid the price with turnovers. Poise is a word the coaching staff has used when describing Primo. That said, the rookie looked out of place with the ball in his hands and the game on the line, telegraphing his target, nearly turning it over, and forcing Tre Jones into a difficult isolation heave from beyond the arc.
There were a few ill-advised fouls in the mix, though he was solid as a man-to-man defender. While he missed a few rotations here and there, Primo kept his head on a swivel and was usually in the correct position. All in all, Spurs fans should have an incredibly positive outlook on what the youngest player from the 2021 NBA Draft can become.
Tre Jones (16 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, and 5 turnovers on 6-of-14)
It sure didn’t look like Tre Jones was coming out of concussion protocols with how well he played on Monday. The undersized floor general ran the offense like a ten-year veteran and showed off a newfound willingness to shoot the three-ball. There were a few low points, though you could argue the former Blue Devil was San Antonio’s best player.
Jones consistently found the open man when operating out of the pick-and-roll, delivering picturesque pocket passes to the roll-man. His ability to see the floor and make skip-passes to the corners was an encouraging sight for a team that was largely devoid of a primary playmaker during their brief stint in Salt Lake City.
Tre is almost always working at a disadvantage due to his frame, but that never stops him from getting under his opponent’s skin. He’s a fierce point of attack defender, and his lightning-quick reflexes and plus-athleticism help him stay glued to assignments. There’s a reason he was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and that was on display versus Minnesota.
Joe Wieskamp (3 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 turnover on 1-of-1)
There isn’t much to say about Joe Wieskamp in this one. The six-seven sharpshooter nailed his only shot of the night and recorded three boards in fifteen minutes. He also had a defensive miscommunication that led to a massive throwdown.
Hopefully, better nights are ahead for the 21-year-old guard. The defense didn’t let him out of their sights once he knocked down his first three of the game, and as far as I could tell, he wasn’t a big part of San Antonio’s game plan.
