The Spurs have a strong contender for Most Improved Player hiding in plain sight

With the start of training camp fast approaching, we will soon get a chance to see the new-look San Antonio Spurs in action. That will give fans their first chance to see recently signed Chris Paul play alongside potential superstar Victor Wembanyama. That is expected to be a dangerous pairing, with Paul seemingly tailor-made to help Wembanyama and the young Spurs.

While adding Paul is generally seen as a way to unlock Wembayama's full potential, Spurs second-leading scorer Devin Vassell may also be a big beneficiary. Vassell has flown under the radar nationally since he is playing in the shadow of a giant but he has quietly become one of the best shooters in the NBA.

San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell is already one of the best shooters in the NBA but Chris Paul could help turn him into a star. 

Vassell is terrific at knocking down pull-up jumpers off the dribble, particularly on contested shots, making him one of the best tough-shot makers in the NBA. Last season, he shot a stellar 54.2% from the field on 7.9 contested or very contested shots per game while shooting 53.4% on open or wide-open shots according to NBA.com.

That can be both a good and a bad thing with Vassell being able to create and reliable hit shots, no matter how difficult. On the other hand, taking difficult shots leads to bad habits, such as settling for the first shot available instead of searching for better ones.

NBA legend Charles Barkley even pointed out that flaw when the Spurs played a nationally televised game on TNT but Paul could change that. Paul running the offense would lead to easier shots for Vassell, with Paul likely running spread pick and roll with Wembanyama rolling to the rim and three shooters around them.

Vassell may feast with teams scrambling to keep Wembanyama from getting easy shots around the rim by sending help. Taking the ball out of Vassell's hands more may also help him by using him in more pin-down screens or direct handoffs to generate easier shots. That would keep him from reverting to taking contested jumpers.

Wembanyama working more in the post could also help with teams certain to double, leaving someone open on the perimeter with the Spurs being able to swing the ball around and potentially create open looks for Vassell. Those tweaks to the Spurs offense should help Vassell make a big jump next season and potentially help San Antonio do the same in the standings.