San Antonio Spurs rookie forward/center Victor Wembanyama (right ankle sprain) is expected to miss the final matchup of San Antonio’s three-game road trip, coach Gregg Popovich said Thursday night.
The Spurs lost 131-129 to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday and will visit the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night. Wembanyama was ruled out against Sacramento.
“He’ll probably miss these two games and hopefully be ready for Monday,” Popovich said before Thursday night’s game when asked about his star rookie’s availability.
Per a few NBA betting sites, Wembanyama is the odds-on favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year. Sportsbooks are still showing decent odds for Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren.
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
Wembanyama, 20, rolled his ankle in the second quarter of San Antonio’s 114-101 loss at Houston on Tuesday night. Thursday was the seventh game Wembanyama has missed.
He started in 56 of the Spurs’ first 62 contests. If he doesn’t play against the Warriors on Saturday, it will be the first time all season he’ll have missed consecutive games.
San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama (ankle) doubtful Saturday at Golden State Warriors
Wembanyama was also listed as questionable for the Rockets game on Tuesday with left shoulder soreness. However, he was still cleared to play. Though, he tweaked his right ankle and favored his right hip during the game.
The Spurs rookie left the bench area with 3:24 left in the second quarter and returned to play his normal minutes in the second half. Although the 7-foot-4 big man finished the game, he did not attempt a shot after halftime.
“He didn’t say a whole lot, so we didn’t realize that he was hampered by that really at the time,” Popovich added. “When you looked at the film after, you could see that he wasn’t moving very well. So he’s taking care of it now.”
Most blocks in March so far:
13 – Victor Wembanyama (61.9 MP)
12 – Rudy Gobert (161.2 MP)
10 – Nic Claxton (134.1 MP)This kid is so special. ✨ pic.twitter.com/9OZYU1Hzz9
— Spurs_Muse (@spurs_muse) March 8, 2024
Through 56 games (all starts) this season, Wemby is averaging 20.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, a league-leading 3.4 blocks, and 28.8 minutes per game.
Plus, he’s shooting 46.9% from the field, 33.5% from 3-point range, and 81.5% at the foul line. He leads the NBA with 193 blocks and ranks 10th in total rebounds (574) and third in defensive rating (107.4).
The Spurs (13-50) host the Warriors (3-29) in San Antonio on Monday. San Antonio is 7-21 at home, 6-29 away, and 8-28 in conference play this season.
