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San Antonio Spurs Lose 2 Starters for Season Due to Injuries

Mar 17, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich enters Moody Center before a game against the Brooklyn Nets. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

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.

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.

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.

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.

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