Spurs' inescapable truth sits at the center of their offensive surge

Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie have been on fire for the Spurs since the All-Star break. Both wings are finding their groove from beyond the arc specifically, and it couldn’t be happening at a better time. The playoffs are on the horizon for San Antonio, and the team has a serious shot at winning a championship if Vassell and Champagnie keep rolling like this.

The Spurs' shooters have been better than expected

In 14 games since the All-Star break, Devin Vassell is averaging 14.8 points on a sizzling 48.3% from three (49.0% from the field overall). In the same timeframe (but with one extra game played), Julian Champagnie is posting 11.3 points per game and drilling 46.4% of his triples. For context, before the leap, Vassell shot 35.4% and Champagnie hit 36.9% from deep. 

Both wings are men possessed right now. They’ve been stellar lately, delivering memorable performances in big games. Vassell drained seven treys against Detroit on February 23rd, finishing with 28 points in an impressive win for the Spurs.

Champagnie was unconscious in the battle against the Clippers on March 6th, scoring 17 of his 20 points in the third quarter en route to a major San Antonio comeback victory.

The Silver and Black as a whole have been clicking offensively as of late, now holding the fourth-best offensive rating in the league. Vassell and Champagnie have been integral to that scoring leap. This club needs the shooting they bring in order to operate at its highest capacity. That’ll be more true than ever come playoff time.

Vassell and Champagnie could be the key to a Spurs title run

Even though they’re inexperienced, you know what you’re getting with the Spurs in a lot of areas at this point. Victor Wembanyama is a clear top five player in the world. De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle are also peaking at the right time. This team’s defense and athletic advantages will probably pop even more in the postseason than they already have in the regular season.

The main thing that remains to be seen for this group is how their offense translates to the biggest stage. The shooting of Vassell and Champagnie is going to be crucial to keeping things humming on that end in a playoff series.

Wemby may truly feel like an alien sometimes, but at the end of the day, he’s human. If opponents are able to toss two, three, even four bodies at him in the halfcourt, he’s going to struggle. Luckily, he won’t be put in that situation if Vassell and Champagnie are on point from deep.

Their shooting will put defenders in an impossible pick-your-poison scenario. If they sell out to double Wembanyama, Vassell and Champagnie will make them pay. If they stay home on the shooters, then Wemby is going to torch his matchup one-on-one.

With the way Dev and Champ have been playing, there’s very little reason to doubt they’ll be locked and loaded for playoff hoops. If they indeed are, then the Spurs are going to be terrifying.