After two straight seasons at the bottom, the San Antonio Spurs are once again experiencing the feeling of being in the mid-table. However, the journey hasn’t been easy. In the early days of the new season, their head coach, Gregg Popovich, suffered a mild stroke, which led to interim coach Mitch Johnson stepping in. Despite all the challenges, the Spurs managed to reach the ninth spot in the standings, something that wouldn’t have been possible without the presence of Victor Wembanyama.

Even in just his second season in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama is proving his worth with impressive averages of 25.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.9 blocks, and over a steal per game. The French center’s absence in five games so far has been felt with the Spurs losing three of those matchups. Tonight, with the team facing the third-seeded Western Conference team, the Memphis Grizzlies, his presence is crucial. But the question is whether Victor Wembanyama will be available to play in tonight’s game.

Victor Wembanyama and Co.’s availability for Spurs vs Grizzlies

Of course, Victor Wembanyama will be added to the roster for the matchup, who else could balance the team so well against Ja Morant and his Grizzlies side? Wemby is healthy and ready to take on the challenge. Actually, most of the San Antonio squad is maintaining good health, with only Jeremy Sochan being the exception. The word is already out, thanks to Paul Garcia’s report, that Sochan won’t be part of this clash.

The Polish forward had just started to settle into his preferred role, with no more experiments disrupting his progress. However, he couldn’t keep up because of his lower back soreness. The 21-year-old was last spotted in action against the Bulls and has since missed two consecutive games, with Wednesday marking his third absence. Despite missing a key player, the rest of the Spurs’ roster pretty much remains the same. On the flip side, the Grizzlies have a lengthier list of injuries and absences.

Grizzlies Injury Report

Memphis has five players on their injury report, with Jay Huff being the only one who could potentially clear his name tonight. Huff is dealing with a sore left knee, which caused him to miss their last game. But for now, the franchise has listed him as questionable, with a final decision on his status yet to be made. However, the Grizzlies have already made decisions on the other players, all of whom have been ruled out.

First on the list is Cam Spencer, who fractured his thumb during a practice session with the team’s G League affiliate. According to reports, his condition will be re-evaluated in three weeks, which means he won’t be expected to rejoin the squad for the upcoming fixtures.

Next is Marcus Smart. The combo guard had a severe injury on his right index finger in late December after partially tearing the proximal extensor hood. He is still healing and is not fit enough to make a return yet. Meanwhile, expectations are high for GG Jackson’s return. The young forward broke his foot earlier in the season and underwent a successful surgery. After completing the required 8-9 weeks of rest, Jackson will soon rejoin the team. But the return date hasn’t been confirmed.

Vince Williams Jr., on the other hand, suffered a Grade 3 right ankle sprain during a game against the Nuggets in mid-November and has since been added to the injury report. Reportedly he is recovering but will still need a few more weeks before making a return.

Now, the question remains, which side will have the last laugh at the Frost Bank Center? Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will be looking to improve their 19-19 record after a massive win against the Lakers, while Ja Morant and the Grizzlies need to step up their game following a disappointing loss to the Rockets. Tune in at 8:00 PM ET to see how the Western clash unfolds.