Carter Bryant entered the NBA with a reputation as a defender, but his first days with the San Antonio Spurs quickly showed him how difficult it is to guard established NBA scorers. Bryant recently recalled getting assigned to Devin Vassell during a workout and watching the veteran make contested shot after contested shot.
“Coming into the league, like everybody knew me as a defender and that’s what I did,” Bryant said on the Road Trippin’ Show. “And obviously like, I carried that with me throughout my rookie year.”
Bryant said the experience came on his second day in San Antonio. He heard a ball bouncing in one of the team’s smaller shooting gyms and walked in to find Vassell working out with Spurs coach Jimmy Baron.
Baron then called Bryant over and told him to guard Vassell. What followed immediately challenged the rookie’s confidence.
“When I tell you I’ve never seen a human being hit that many contested shots in a row,” Bryant said. “Like I’m playing amazing defense. Like I’m like, ‘Okay, I assume he’s going to bust my a** today, but like understanding like I’ve never done this before, so just go in and play hard.’”
According to Bryant, Vassell made approximately 18 consecutive shots despite the rookie believing he was defending them well. The sequence left Bryant questioning whether he was ready for the NBA.
“I promise you, he probably hit 18 shots in a row,” Bryant said. “And I’m just like, ‘Yo, I should not have put my name in the draft. I am not ready to be here.’ I’m like, ‘Bro this is bad.’”
Vassell’s shooting ability gave Bryant a firsthand look at the difference between being regarded as a good defender and actually containing NBA-level shot-makers. In the 2025-26 regular season, Vassell averaged 13.9 points in 30.5 minutes over 67 games while shooting 43.7% from the field and 38.4% from 3-point range.
Vassell remained a significant part of San Antonio’s rotation during its run to the NBA Finals. He started all 23 playoff games, averaging 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 34.8 minutes while shooting 43.2% from the field and 37.8% from 3-point range.
Bryant, meanwhile, played 71 regular-season games as a rookie and averaged 4.2 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game. He shot 40.8% from the field and 33.5% from 3-point range.
During the playoffs, he appeared in all 22 games and averaged 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 8.5 minutes. Bryant shot 50.0% from the field and 41.4% from 3-point range during San Antonio’s run.
The Spurs finished the regular season 62-20, second in the Western Conference, before advancing through Portland and Minnesota and then defeating Oklahoma City 4-3 in the Western Conference finals. San Antonio ultimately lost the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks, 4-1.
