Rip City Project
Fansided

5 Lottery-level NBA Draft players that could fall to the Portland Trail Blazers

By Stevie Cozens

SOUTH BEND, IN - MARCH 04: Devin Vassell #24 of the Florida State Seminoles is seen during the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Purcell Pavilion on March 4, 2020 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN - MARCH 04: Devin Vassell #24 of the Florida State Seminoles is seen during the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Purcell Pavilion on March 4, 2020 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Portland Trail Blazers lottery-level prospect two – Devin Vassell

If the Blazers are looking for a high-level defender with great positional size, Devin Vassell from Florida State could be their man. I’m not certain that he will be there when they select at 16, but he is another wing who has been mocked anywhere from 4 down to the end of the lottery.

Vassell is a 19-year-old sophomore who has been compared to some of the NBA’s best defenders. He is probably the best defender in his class at six-foot-seven with a six-foot-ten wingspan; he has all the required defensive tools.

Vassell has a high defensive IQ and will impact an NBA team right away on that end. He is excellent both as a man and team defender and has that Marcus Smart type energy where he dives for loose balls, gets endless deflections, and is a pest both on and off the ball.

The team that drafts Vassell will have an impactful defensive forward right away.

As an offensive player, Vassell is primarily a spot-up shooter who can do a little secondary playmaking.

He did shoot 41.7 percent in the past two years at Florida State, but I’m not certain he is a 41 percent three-point shooter in the NBA. This was on just 168 attempts. Maybe this shooting is real, but I would always be cautious about NBA teams expecting that type of efficiency straight off the bat.

Vassell hasn’t developed a driving game yet, due in part to his slim 194-pound frame. He does have nice touch but will need to add significant muscle to finish efficiently at the rim. This will also aid him in being able to defend up a position or two as well.

Vassell seems to have a varied draft position on boards, but if he fell to 16, it would be a no-brainer for the Blazers to select him.