Spurs-Suns injury report: What Devin Vassell’s absence means for San Antonio

Update (12:40 p.m. CT): Devin Vassell has been ruled out for Monday night's away game in Phoenix, per Jared Weiss.

The Spurs and Suns will face off for the first time this season on Monday night in Phoenix, but the Silver and Black may be without Devin Vassell. San Antonio's second-longest-tenured player popped up on the injury report this evening, and if he's out, the Spurs will likely turn to Julian Champagnie to start.

Spurs injury report

Maliq Brown - Out (G League - Two-Way)
Ja’Kobi Gillespie - Out (G League - Two-Way)
Tobias Harris - Out (Left calf)
Jayden Quaintance - Out (Right knee)
Devin Vassell - Questionable (Left adductor tightness)

Suns injury report

Jordan Goodwin - Questionable (Right calf)
Mark Williams - Out (Left shoulder)

A Devin Vassell absence would be poorly timed right now

Dev is one of the most consistent players on this roster, but that's just a general statement. He positions well, defends at a high level, and is always where he's supposed to be. The claim doesn't include his three-point shooting. That's been fairly poor early this season, but it's been picking up over the last two games.

The Florida State product went 5-6 from outside against the Kings and 2-4 against the Trail Blazers. Prior to that, he was shooting a career-low 25.7%. Granted, we were only eight games in, but in an 82-game season, that's nearly 10% of it, and right now, the sample of his good shooting is much smaller than the sample of the bad.

Spurs Nation always expected him to turn it around, but it seemed like we were already in the process of that happening. Missing time would delay fans from enjoying a well-deserved monsoon after such an unfun drought to start the year. I doubt it's serious, so it'd only be a hiccup, but I don't know anyone who actually enjoys hiccups.

Champagnie should get the nod if Vassell misses time

Other than Vassell, Julian Champagnie is the easiest player to fit into any lineup. He's a floor-spacer who knows how to play off his teammates well, and he's already started at the four for this team. The Spurs went to the NBA Finals with him in that role, so there wouldn't be much relief for Phoenix in that scenario.

Champagnie is shooting 42.9% from three this season—second only to Harrison Barnes. Many people believed he'd be the starter alongside Victor Wembanyama and the three-guard lineup before Mitch Johnson announced that Vassell would take the power forward position.

Spurs fans have also been clamoring for more Carter Bryant minutes. If Vassell is out, there's almost a guarantee that he'll get an early look. If he keeps cashing in as he did against the Trail Blazers, Coach Johnson's trust in him should grow enough to keep giving him time in bigger games. Seeing CB grow into a reliable contributor is a compensatory benefit we could all get behind.

The Spurs and Suns will clash at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix at 8:00 p.m. CT. Check back here for an update when Vassell's status is finalized.

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