"This will be scary": Hoops fans react as Victor Wembanyama injury leads to Cooper Flagg predictions for Spurs

College basketball fans reacted to the news that San Antonio Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama suffered deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, ruling him out for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. The news sparked comparisons to how the Spurs landed franchise legend Tim Duncan.

As of Feb. 20, the five-time NBA champions sit in 12th place in the Western Conference standings with a 24-29 record. The Spurs are three games behind the 10th-place Golden State Warriors for the final play-in spot.

They have 29 games to go in the regular season, which is considered by many as a luxury as other teams have played between 54 and 56 games this season.

However, that gap also gives the Spurs enough time to shift their focus and lose as many games as possible to improve their chances at securing the top prize in June’s 2025 NBA draft: Cooper Flagg.

The Duke star is ranked as the top pick by various mock drafts despite hinting that he would like to stay for another year in Durham.

The Spurs have a history of draft lottery success since its inception in 1985. They have won the lottery three times, using those picks to select former MVPs David Robinson (1987) and Tim Duncan (1997). In 2023, they secured the top pick again and drafted Wembanyama.

"This will be scary," one fan wrote on X.

"Would be a sick trio," another fan added.

"Tank for FLAGG," an avid basketball enthusiast opined.

Others took a more analytical approach, arguing that the team’s current record makes it unlikely for them to land the No. 1 pick.

History shows that being a middle-of-the-pack team doesn’t eliminate the possibility of winning the lottery. Last season, the Atlanta Hawks had just a 3% chance of securing the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA draft but ended up winning, beating out Washington, Houston (via Brooklyn), San Antonio and Detroit.

According to ESPN, Wembanyama’s condition was discovered when the team returned to San Antonio following the NBA All-Star Game. The Spurs expect him to recover fully by the start of next season, with medical staff confirming that the setback won’t impact his long-term health

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Cooper Flagg remains No. 1 in mock drafts ahead of Victor Wembanyama's announcement

Duke star Cooper Flagg maintained his position as the No. 1 overall pick in Sports Illustrated’s latest mock draft update during the NBA All-Star break.

The 6-foot-9 freshman was projected as the top selection by the Washington Wizards in SI’s Feb. 17 edition — just days before the Spurs announced Wembanyama’s injury. Flagg is averaging 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game for the Blue Devils this season.

The Spurs, currently projected to pick No. 10 overall due to their trade with Atlanta, were linked to Duke's Kon Knueppel in the mock draft. However, their positioning could shift as the season enters its final stretch leading up to the playoffs.