San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich announced on Friday that rookie center Victor Wembanyama will be held out of back-to-backs and face a minutes restriction as a precautionary measure for his ongoing recovery from an ankle injury. The move has drawn some scruinty from NBA fans already.
The injury occurred when Wembanyama accidentally stepped on a ball boy’s foot during pregame exercises on December 23. This mishap happened shortly after he had already missed two games due to right ankle discomfort. The Spurs chose to sit him out for the game against the Dallas Mavericks, citing a right ankle sprain as the reason.
Wembanyama returned to play last Tuesday, but he was not included in the lineup for Friday’s game against the Trail Blazers, which is part of back-to-back games against Portland. While officially listed as resting, the team’s main goal is to avoid any further damage to his ankle.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs Updates
Popovich mentioned that the decision to rest Wembanyama on Friday was a directive from the team’s medical staff.
“He’s got a minutes restriction and he can’t play back-to-backs for a couple of weeks until they take another picture and check out his foot again,” Popovich said.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs Updates
In a recent game against Portland, Wembanyama demonstrated his prowess by scoring 30 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 7 blocks in just 24 minutes. He joined Spurs legends David Robinson and Tim Duncan as the third rookie to achieve over 30 points, 5 assists, and 5 blocks in a single game. Additionally, he set a record as the first player, rookie or otherwise, to attain over 25 points, 5 assists, and 5 blocks in under 25 minutes.
Popovich acknowledged Wembanyama’s competitive spirit, noting his displeasure at being benched in Dallas and recognizing his understanding of the necessity for caution.
“When we sat him in Dallas, he wasn’t happy, but I’m glad he wasn’t happy,” Popovich said. “He’s a competitor. All these guys at this level, they didn’t get here by being noncompetitive. So, he’d rather be playing. It frustrates him more than anything.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs Updates
Wembanyama himself expressed trust in the Spurs’ medical team, stating his readiness to comply with their advice, despite his eagerness to play. He emphasized the importance of professional judgment in these situations, both from the medical staff and himself as a player.
“We communicate a lot with the medical staff and I’ve made it clear that I want them to sit me out,” Wembanyama said. “I’m going to trust them if they want me to sit out, but only if I really need to. If they force me pretty much. If it was up to me, I’d play every game. But I respect my role. They’re professionals. I’m a professional. I try to do my job the best I can.”
