2020 NBA Mock Draft: All 14 NBA teams in the lottery
. Small Forward. Florida State Seminoles. 84. . Devin Vassell. 12. player
The Sacramento Kings have unfortunately been very disappointing in the 2019/20 season. After a nice 2018/19 season where they won 39 games, they have regressed to 28 and 36 this season.
Defensively they have issues, ranking 19th overall. They concede a lot at the rim and struggle to defend in transition.
They need size and defense at the three, and someone who can take a bit of the defensive pressure off De’Aaron Fox. Fox is a good defender, and as their best player who is an energy guy, it would be great if he was able to take on less of the tough defensive tasks.
The best defensive wing available at their slot and one of the best in the class is Devin Vassell out of Florida State.
Vassell is a second year, six-foot-six small forward who is 180 pounds and has a big six-foot-nine wingspan.
He projects as a strong defender and an off ball player who can shoot as well as slash to the rim.
His offensive efficiency in two years of NCAA ball is impressive. 51 percent from two, 41 percent from three and 72 percent from the line. Considering his efficiency he could probably have had a bigger role than 10 shots a game.
Vassell can shoot off the dribble, he has a fade away, and a pull-up.
Vassell, though a good shooter, also excels in transition. He has big long strides and this enables him to finish at the crazy rate of 70 percent in transition plays. Because of his length, and good hands he was also a lob threat for the Seminoles this year.
He is a great athlete, and will probably have a Trevor Ariza do it all type of tag on him in the draft. The Ariza comparison is apt when you look at his defense, which is probably his greatest strength.
He is so long while being so quick. He can defend the point of attack while he is adept at jumping the passing lanes and getting deflections. He averaged 1.4 steals a game this year, on only 28 minutes a night.
He is also a great helpside shot blocker, he has excellent verticality and good timing on his block attempts. He also only averaged 1.9 fouls per game this season, very impressive considering his 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks.
Vassell’s versatility is even more impressive when you consider his passing. He loves breaking down the defense and is confident throwing lobs to big man in transition or the half court. On an NBA team, he could develop into a nice secondary playmaker.
As the Kings continue their rebuild, Vassell should be a target for them. He fits nicely with Fox and could be their wing of the future.