Spurs' recent meeting shows Vassell's off-court leadership

A new leader on and off the court is beginning to emerge for the San Antonio Spurs. After a frustrating loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last Thursday, Devin Vassell reportedly took the lead in a players-only meeting.

Thaddeus Young detailed more on the meeting in speaking to the media on Monday before a matchup with the Phoenix Suns.

"He basically said, 'Let's try to figure this thing out. Let's talk about it. Let's put everything out there on the table," said Young. "He stepped up and took the floor," adding seeing that is "great for a young guy."

San Antonio Express-News writer had more on what happened in the meeting.

The rise of Vassell on the court has been somewhat expected given how efficient he was in his rookie year, but his level of play has risen even faster than many thought it would. Perhaps still more impressive has been how outspoken he's been in just his second season.

After excitedly declaring "it's our time now" when referring to the young core to being the season, Vassell has been productively expressing his frustration with correctable mistakes happening within the team early in the year.

Devin Vassell wants to hold the team accountable

The Spurs can no longer rely on one star to help them out of tough situations, and Vassell knows that well. His concerns with the team getting complacent show how frustrated he is with the team not wanting to win badly enough -- a quality he surely doesn't lack.

While Dejounte Murray has emerged as the Spurs' best player and on-court leader, it's a great sign that Vassell is becoming a vocal leader in the locker room. At 21 years old, he already has the potential to be the best Spur on the floor within the next few years, and his leadership would just be icing on the cake.