San Antonio Spurs rising superstar Victor Wembanyama had a limited role in his return from a sore right ankle during Thursday night’s match against the Chicago Bulls. The talented rookie logged just 22 minutes on the court, scoring a career-low seven points and securing five rebounds at the United Center.

Questions arose about whether Wembanyama’s performance was influenced by the lingering effects of his minor ankle injury, especially after his absence in Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Addressing concerns, Wemby reassured, “It felt okay. No pain at any moment,” echoing coach Popovich’s sentiments regarding his ankle.

In the Spurs’ 114-95 loss to the Bulls, Wembanyama’s five rebounds marked one of his second-worst performances in that category. Previously, he recorded just three boards in 27 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers this season, resulting in a 124-99 defeat. Similarly, he achieved five rebounds in both the season opener against the Dallas Mavericks and his third game against the Clippers.

Reflecting on his return after missing the Bucks’ game, Wembanyama expressed, “Any game is tough to sit out, but we think long term, we’ve got to be smart.”

Parallel to his diminished rebounding output, Wemby’s 22 minutes approached his career-low of 21 minutes logged in a decisive 152-111 victory against the Pacers in early November.

When asked about the restricted playing time, the 19-year-old phenom explained, “Little bit of both. Most importantly, it’s my first season, [it’s] my body adapting to this. We think about the long term.”

Despite the limited playing time, it’s worth noting that Victor Wembanyama’s three blocks on Thursday matched his season average.