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Victor Wembanyama has missed the last 11 games for the Spurs with a calf injury, and a new injury update on his status for the NBA Cup.
Every time he takes the floor, Victor Wembanyama seems to do something never before seen on a basketball court. However, he hasn’t had the chance to do so recently for the San Antonio Spurs, as the franchise star has missed the last few weeks with a calf strain.
While there was hope the center would return at some point soon, that won’t be the case in the Spurs’ upcoming NBA Cup quarterfinal game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to Paul Garcia, Wembanyama has been listed as out against the Lakers, more than 24 hours before the game tips off.
Wemby is OUT Wednesday vs Lakers per Spurs.
McLaughlin is questionable
Wemby is OUT Wednesday vs Lakers per Spurs,” he wrote in a post on X. “McLaughlin is questionable.”
Before the injury that has sidelined him for 11 straight games, Wembanyama was having the best season of his career. In 12 appearances so far, the French big man was averaging 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, four assists, and 3.6 blocks on 50.2% shooting, a shoo-in for the All-Star and All-NBA teams if he keeps up that pace.
Victor Wembanyama Injury Update
Previously, the Spurs had announced that Wembanyama would travel with the team on their upcoming road trip. While that didn’t signal a timeline for return, he was officially listed as questionable in the days leading up to the game against the Lakers.
Mitch Johnson says Victor Wembanyama WILL travel with the team to Los Angeles for the NBA Cup game Wednesday.
Doesn’t neccesarily mean he will play, but a “no” would obviously have ruled him out.
But now with Garcia’s reporting, it’s clear he won’t suit up in what would have been a legendary showdown between two of the league’s biggest stars, in Wembanyama and Luka Doncic.
Head coach Mitch Johnson told reporters a few days ago that the franchise star was making progress on a return, and said that he’ll travel with the team just in case, though he has yet to give any ‘green light’ on a return.
Wembanyama’s missing the game against the Lakers will be his 13th straight absence. As of now, he’ll only be able to miss a few more games this year to still be considered for the NBA’s end-of-season awards. If he does get back on the court soon, the 7’5″ star will be the favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, as well as lead the league in blocks, two markers that he should hit multiple times throughout his career.
He has practiced with the team, but for now, he’ll stay on the bench, with fans waiting for a return.
Spurs Playing Well Without The Franchise Star
Perhaps surprising to some, the Spurs have gone 8-3 without Wembanyama. Though they dealt with other injuries to start the year, both Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox have put in strong showings over the past few weeks to keep San Antonio near the top of the Western Conference standings.
Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, and Harrison Barnes have also been solid wing players, each taking a bit bigger role with the star center out. Additionally, though he missed a big stretch with a left calf strain, rookie Dylan Harper recently dropped a career-high 22 points in a win over the Pelicans.
San Antonio ranks ninth in net rating, seventh in offensive rating, and 16th in defensive rating, despite Wembanyama missing half of their games so far. The defensive rating number could easily be top-five if the star were healthy, but even still, the Spurs have exceeded the expectations of many playing without a top-ten player in the NBA.
The NBA Cup game against the veteran Lakers will be a tough test for the younger San Antonio team. Money is on the line, and though they’ll be without Wembanyama and potentially Jordan McLaughlin, it should provide an interesting matchup in the quarterfinal round.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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