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Victor Wembanyama was ruled questionable heading into Tuesday’s game against the Utah Jazz. The rookie was a late scratch on Saturday in Dallas after he stepped on a ball boy’s foot. “Wemby” was working on his post-up game when the unfortunate incident happened.
The Spurs eventually cleared the Frenchman to play versus the Jazz. He was on the court for 24 minutes and finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, five blocks, four assists and one steal. Wembanyama didn’t show any signs of favoring discomfort with his sore right ankle.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich already announced that the rookie will not play in both games in Portland. San Antonio is scheduled to face the Blazers on December 28 and December 29. The team will decide which of those games he will be available.
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When asked about the Spurs’ decision to hold him out in one of the two games against the Blazers, Victor Wembanyama responded (via Hector Ledesma):
“We communicate a lot with the medical staff. … I’m gonna trust them if they want me to sit out but only if I really need to. If they force me. If it was up to me, I’d play every game, of course. I respect my role. They’re professionals. I’m a professional.”
Wembanyama first injured his ankle against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 17. The San Antonio Spurs sidelined him versus the Milwaukee Bucks two nights later. He was ruled questionable on December 21 in Chicago but was later cleared to play. The Spurs might have made the wrong decision, as Wembanyama played the worst game of his young NBA career.
It looked like he was ready to play against the Dallas Mavericks, but unfortunately, he stepped on the foot of the ball boy. The Spurs training staff re-taped the right ankle but ultimately forced him to sit out. Wembanyama later explained that the team only wanted to be extra careful.
The San Antonio Spurs are still a work in progress, even with Victor Wembanyama around
The San Antonio Spurs couldn’t hide their excitement when they grabbed Victor Wembanyama as the No. 1 pick of this year’s draft. Despite having a player considered by many to be a generational talent, the team is a work in progress.
Gregg Popovich experimented with Jeremy Sochan at point guard. The forward had never been in that role before, and the team struggled. Roughly a week ago, Popovich shelved the plan and used guards Malaki Branham and Devin Vassell to facilitate the team’s offense more. The two are still adjusting to their new roles as playmakers.
Recently, Keldon Johnson has been moved to the bench. Taking his spot is Julian Champagnie, who had 16 points, five rebounds, two steals, one block and one assist in the loss to the Utah Jazz. Johnson provided a scoring punch from the bench and finished with 26 points, four rebounds and three assists.
The San Antonio Spurs have Victor Wembanyama, but the team will have to work as a whole and address their weaknesses. They have a 4-25 record, the second-worst in the NBA. Despite their struggles, many are bullish about how their future will turn out as long as the Frenchman stays healthy.
