Victor Wembanyama May Not Return Until Next Week

Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has adhered to a strict plan when it comes to his playing time as a rookie. The San Antonio Spurs have periodically rested him throughout the season while also limiting just how many minutes he is playing on any given night.

The plan, to this point, has worked well. Wembanyama has dominated on both ends of the court and he hasn’t looked tired. Adjusting to the length of the NBA schedule is as difficult as any, as most players entering the league play in seasons half as long as they will as a professional.

To this point, Wembanyama has yet to miss consecutive games in his rookie season. Unfortunately, that streak sounds like it will be coming to an end this weekend. According to Andrew Lopez of ESPN, Wembanyama is likely going to miss the remainder of the Spurs’ road trip.

Wembanyama looked to have hurt his ankle against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday in the first half, He was able to come back and played nearly the entire second half of that game, but San Antonio opted to keep him sidelined on Thursday against the Sacramento Kings.

On the sidelines is where it sounds like he is going to stay for Saturday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors as well. What was going to be a star-studded affair with Wembanyama taking the court with Stephen Curry could be missing both main attractions as Curry injured his ankle on Thursday night as well.

When it comes to Wembanyama’s timeline to return, head coach Gregg Popovich is hopeful it won’t be a lengthy absence. “He’ll probably miss these two games and hopefully be ready for Monday,” Popovich said before Thursday night’s game.

On Monday, the Spurs host the Warriors in the second half of their home-and-home. That is the first game of an eight-game homestand for San Antonio. There is a back-to-back set on Monday and Tuesday, so there is a chance that Wembanyama is held out again as a precaution.