The San Antonio Spurs will be without two of their starters for the remainder of the season. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, wing Devin Vassell and power forward Jeremy Sochan are officially done for the year.
Spurs say Devin Vassell (stress reaction in foot) and Jeremy Sochan (ankle surgery) will miss remainder of season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 1, 2024
San Antonio currently has an 18-57 record, the worst in the Western Conference. With the team having been officially eliminated from playoff contention for a while, all focus now shifts to the next season.
San Antonio Spurs Lose 2 Starters for Season Due to Injuries
Devin Vassell’s Season
The fourth-year Vassell was enjoying the best season of his young career before his injury. In 68 games played, the Georgia native averaged a career-high 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Recently, head coach Gregg Popovich talked about Vassell’s improvement:
“He is one of the guys on the team that, all the development things we’ve been doing, you can start to see it,” Popovich said. “He’s playing better defense. He’s rebounding. He’s becoming aggressive. He’s driving the paint, he’s finding people, he’s shooting the three in transition. He’s really upped his game.”
Vassell is one of the best scorers on the team who can do it all. Losing him is a big blow for the team. In his absence, the team will likely rely more heavily on guard Malaki Branham and small forward Julian Champagnie.
Devin Vassell tonight
– 31 POINTS
– 6 assists
– 4 rebounds
– 12/20 FG
– 4/8 from deep✨ masterclass ✨ pic.twitter.com/Q1b24gT32d
— Bala 💫 (@BalaPattySZN) March 28, 2024
How the Team Will Replace Jeremy Sochan
Sochan appeared in 74 games for the Spurs this season, starting 73 of them. In those games, the second-year player averaged 11.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Like Vassell, Sochan is a versatile player who has become a big part of San Antonio’s core. Sochan has improved in every aspect of the game since joining the league last year. Additionally, the Baylor alum has a fan in coach Popovich:
“He’s been great for us and he’s been a two-way player, which are very few and far between in this league,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s played well at the defensive end, the offensive end. He’s really grown. Nobody would believe he would shoot the three the way he is shooting it now.”
His versatility and defense are going to be tough to replace. Of course, having the likely Rookie of the Year winner Victor Wembanyama on the team makes it much easier. Still, Sochan is an important part of the Spurs’ roster and should continue being one next season.
Jeremy Sochan tonight;
28 Points
16 Rebounds
53 FG%
GAME-WINNER. pic.twitter.com/XHBuqvRDPl— 🏀 𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐩 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐲 🏀 (@HoopDiary) March 26, 2024
The Last Word on the San Antonio Spurs Injuries
The Spurs have a young and exciting core in large part due to Vassell and Sochan. Losing them for the rest of the season is tough. However, there is a lot to look forward to about this team next season and beyond. With less than two weeks left in the regular season, it will be worth watching how the Spurs do the rest of the way.
