SAN ANTONIO — Devin Vassell, the guard for the San Antonio Spurs, made his long-awaited season debut on Saturday against the Utah Jazz after being sidelined for seven months due to a stress fracture in his right foot.

Vassell’s last appearance on the court was on March 29 during a home game against the New York Knicks, where he impressively scored 23 points across 45 minutes, helping his team secure a 130-126 win in overtime.

Acting head coach Mitch Johnson indicated that Vassell would not be starting the game and would have his playing time monitored. “It will be conservative, I’m sure,” Johnson mentioned regarding Vassell’s limited minutes.

The young guard underwent surgery on June 26 to address an issue with his third metatarsal head after his rehabilitation efforts did not yield the desired results.

Now in his fifth year, Vassell was the second-highest scorer for the Spurs last season, averaging a career-best 19.5 points per game.

The Spurs continue to face challenges this season, as they are also without forward Jeremy Sochan, who is recovering from left thumb surgery, and guard Tre Jones, who is dealing with a sprained right ankle. Additionally, head coach Gregg Popovich is absent due to a medical issue that arose before their matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 2.