Spurs’ Devin Vassell uses dreaded ‘S’ word after brutal loss to Pelicans

In his return from injury, San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell pointed to an issue that’s been plaguing the team for several weeks now. While the word “soft” hadn’t yet been mentioned directly, allusions to it had. The sixth-year guard didn’t avoid uttering the term following a 104-95 loss at home to the New Orleans Pelicans.

“You don’t want to be a team that’s looked at as being soft.”

That phrase came within a response after Vassell was asked if his mindset regarding physicality came from a personal standpoint or from the team.

“Both, especially when it comes to the physicality; just not letting it feel like you’re getting punked.”

"Just not feeling like you're getting punked…
You don't want to be a team that's looked at as being soft…"

-Devin Vassell responding to @CTtheMicSlayer's question about whether the related mindset is individual or team-wide for the #Spurs

Full answer#PorVida#GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/Ppmxa4hwHx

— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) January 26, 2026

Earlier in the week, head coach Mitch Johnson echoed similar sentiments following a setback to the Houston Rockets, declaring the Spurs didn’t match their in-state rivals’ toughness.

The week before, the Spurs lost a big fourth quarter lead and the game after the Minnesota Timberwolves upped the aggression. Like Houston, the T’Wolves are a Western Conference contender and a squad the Spurs could see when it matters most if all three make the playoffs as projected.

“I feel like that’s kind of how the teams come in. They’re like, ‘We come in, we could be more physical than them.’ And that’s just not what you want,” Vassell admitted after this most recent loss to New Orleans.

Spurs continue to struggle with opponents’ physicality

The Pelicans entered their match-up at the Frost Bank Center with the worst record in the West.

“I think that’s just the biggest thing is coming in knowing that. That’s how teams are,” Vassell continued. “They’re not going to out-talent us, they’re not going to do this, they’re not going to do that. We’ve got to sit there and be more physical. And that’s just the key to it, truthfully.”

Worse yet than falling to a last place team at home is the trend that’s finding San Antonio these days. Since that aforementioned loss in Minneapolis, the Spurs are just 4-4. Even with the upset at the hands of New Orleans, they’re still second in the conference. For the better part of the last couple of weeks, though, they’ve essentially sported the same record as a Denver Nuggets squad dealing with massive injuries.

“If we want be a team with high aspirations, we can’t take off a game like that. Mitch was saying that they’ve (the Spurs coaching staff) been gathering intel on the way teams are playing us with the physicality and bigger lineups and crashing the glass,” Vassell added. “What has to be done, I guess, differently to not allow 19 offensive rebounds and not be able to be pushed around by the physicality and stuff like that.”

In the midst of a month-long stretch in which they’re facing some of the league’s best consistently, the Spurs still face the vaunted Rodeo Road Trip in which they’ll be on the road for most of February before a final kick that will determine playoff seedings. It’s a reality Vassell says needs to come with a singular approach.

“It’s more mental than anything, you know what I’m saying? We’ve just got to know what their game plan is and and hit somebody first and be ready to take that punch.”

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