New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: What’s up with Devin Vassell’s shot?

The New Orleans Pelicans may have to reconsider Devin Vassell in the NBA Draft.

It’s no secret that the New Orleans Pelicans need help on the wing and that they might use the NBA Draft to get it.

In a draft that is light on wings, there are only a couple of guys who really fit into the Pelicans’ needs and range.

One of the players most commonly mocked to the New Orleans Pelicans is Devin Vassell, a small forward out of Florida State.

Vassell seems to fit the profile of a modern wing in that he can shoot the 3-point shot, defend multiple positions and handle the ball some.

He averaged 12.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in college, but more importantly, shot 41.5 percent from 3-point range, which is the type of accuracy NBA teams are looking for.

Vassell did not flash deep range but had a silky smooth shot that looked as though it would translate well to the next level. He was viewed as one of the top-3 wing prospects in the draft, but that might have all changed after a post on Twitter.

New Orleans Pelicans Draft: Does Vassell’s new shot hurt his status?

A video emerged of a new and not improved jumper that Vassell was showcasing during workouts:

To put it bluntly, this ain’t good.

Vassell’s shot appears to have gone through an ugly transformation into a slow-moving catapult that takes about ten seconds to launch.

If you look at his shot here, it is much different:

In this video, Vassell’s shot is a lot quicker and doesn’t come back as far. He pushes up through the shot all the way to the follow through instead of cocking it backwards and bringing his arms to less than a 90-degree angle.

Vassell is still a tenacious defender who runs the floor well, but you have to wonder what teams are thinking when they look at his new shot.

This could cause Vassell to fall to the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA Draft, and they might be willing to risk it given the success Fred Vinson has had with broken shots.