With each loss, the San Antonio Spurs proceed to float additional away from the Western Convention’s Play-in image. However back-to-back losses to a New Orleans Pelicans staff that’s heading into the mini-series with San Antonio ranked final within the convention offers a way that it might solely worsen for the Spurs from right here.
Devin Vassell, who broke out of a hunch within the second recreation vs. the Pelicans, spelled out that he was properly conscious of back-to-back losses.
“These are two video games that we are able to’t surrender, particularly within the race we’re making an attempt to battle. We won’t surrender these sorts of video games,” the 2020 eleventh total draft choose admitted.
Vassell additionally tacitly complimented New Orleans to emphasise the severity of the Spurs setback. Or setbacks on this case.
“They are a good staff. They’ve nonetheless bought lots of people harm. I imply, lots of their key guys are harm.
Devin Vassell appears to be like to counsel Spurs teammate Stephon Citadel
Earlier than main the Spurs with 20 factors in a 109-103 loss to New Orleans, Vassell was averaging simply 7.8 factors per recreation in his earlier 5 video games. It was a notable stretch for a participant who ranked because the staff’s second-leading scorer in every of the final two seasons in addition to this 12 months earlier than the commerce for De’Aaron Fox.
Now it is teammate Stephon Citadel who’s struggling. And it correlates to a foul Spurs stretch.
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“I am in his ear day-after-day. It is nothing I am going to say proper now, however I am in his ear, and I am going to speak to him afterward,” Vassell continued. “The perfect factor I can say is my rookie 12 months was up and dow,n too. I did not have the identical position that he did. He got here in because the quantity 4 choose and was capable of have ball in his fingers and form of get going. Once I got here in, I used to be clearly a excessive choose, however I had lots of vets round me so I used to be in a three-and-D position lots of occasions. Generally I would not get the ball. Some video games I would not play.”
Citadel scored simply six factors complete over the 2 video games within the Crescent Metropolis. After enjoying solely 22 minutes within the first recreation, he went in for a measly 12 minutes two nights later.
“That is simply the character of the league, however you may’t let that dictate your effort or you may’t present it neither,” Vassell mentioned of the nationwide champion at UConn final 12 months.
Citadel was coming off a notable All-Star Weekend. He helped his Rising Stars squad advance to the All-Star Recreation on Sunday. In between, he completed second within the Slam Dunk Contest.
“I’ll speak to him simply concerning the little stuff. His potential is out of this world,” Vassell added.
Many think about Citadel the favourite to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Yr.
“I do know that it is solely going to take him one recreation to bounce again, and he’ll be positive,” the previous Florida State standout concluded.
There’s motive to consider the Spurs will not be positive till he does.