The San Antonio Spurs are preparing to face the Sacramento Kings tonight following Tuesday’s embarrassing loss in Houston. The Spurs have been the worst team in the Western Conference all season, with an abysmal 13-49 record. And things are not looking great for them tonight as they will play without their superstar, Victor Wembanyama. The rookie sensation has been ruled out of the Kings clash due to a right ankle sprain.
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich shone more light on Wembanyama’s injury and potential return ahead of tonight’s game. Coach Pop revealed that the 20-year-old rookie is likely to miss the next two Spurs games. He is already out tonight and might even miss Saturday’s road game against the Warriors. The Spurs expect Wembanyama to return to the lineup for Monday’s home game against Stephen Curry and Co.
Pop says he thinks Victor Wembanyama will miss the next two games – tonight against the Kings and Saturday against the Warriors – with his injury and be ready to go Monday against the Warriors at home.
— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) March 8, 2024
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The Spurs would not want to rush Wembanyama’s return and give him enough time for a complete recovery. San Antonio has no shot at making the playoffs this year. So, there is no point rushing the 20-year-old rookie’s return and jeopardizing the franchise’s future. Wemby had an abysmal performance in the last game and got schooled by Rockets Center Alperen Sengun. The Turkish star dropped a career-high 45 points on Wembanyama while he could only put 10 points on the board.
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While many hoped Wembanyama would redeem himself tonight, the news of his unavailability has raised concerns for the Spurs fans. With Wemby out of the lineup, the Spurs need a miraculous performance from their young players to beat a highly talented Kings team.
Victor Wembanyama is still ahead in the ROTY race
Even though Victor Wembanyama got bullied by Alperen Sengun on Tuesday, his talent level is still miles ahead of other rookies from his draft class. Wemby has lived up to the hype and proven to be a generational talent. The NBA has never seen a player like Wembanyama. The Frenchman is having a historic rookie season, averaging 20.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. And he is doing it while playing only 28.8 minutes per game.
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Wemby is also having a monster season on defense. He is averaging 1.3 steals per game and leading the league in blocks with 3.4. Those numbers are insane, even for an established player in the NBA. He is the frontrunner to win this year’s ROTY award, with only Chet Holmgren as the other legitimate contender. Wembanyama is a highlight machine, and hopefully, he can recover from his ankle injury soon and mesmerize the crowd again.