Monday brought bad injury news to San Antonio. Victor Wembanyama has been diagnosed with a calf strain, the team announced. He’s expected to miss “a few weeks,” according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Wembanyama
missed Sunday’s game against the Kings with a calf injury, but the severity of it was unknown. He was originally listed as doubtful before being downgraded to out hours before the game. The hope was that he was held out as a precautionary measure. Alas, it turned out to be a calf strain, the team confirmed.
There is no official timeline for his return, with the Spurs saying they’ll provide updates as appropriate, but NBA insider Sham Charania says he will be out for weeks. He’s expected to miss at least two weeks and be reevaluated soon after, according to ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. With several players suffering serious Achilles injuries recently following calf issues, expect the franchise to err on the side of caution, as it typically has.
The injury comes at a tricky time for the surprising Spurs, as they only have two more games in their homestand before going on the road for seven of their next eight. There are some winnable matchups in that stretch that extends until early December, but not having their best player available could cost them in the standings and erase some of the good work they’ve done early.
Luke Kornet started in Wembanyama’s place against the Kings on Sunday and excelled. He will likely continue to fill that role. There were good performances from Jeremy Sochan and Kelly Olynyk off the bench in that matchup, so there could be enough depth to at least mask the major hole that Wembanyama’s absence creates on both ends. De’Aaron Fox should carry a heavier offensive burden, while Stephon Castle, who exited the Kings’ game at halftime with a hip injury that appears minor, could also see his shot creation role increase.
San Antonio is already missing guard Dylan Harper, who has missed the past seven games, also with a calf strain. Fortunately, he only suffered a Grade 1 strain and is already out of his walking boot and expected to ramp up on-court work soon, according to Mitch Johnson.
Wembanyama is averaging 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, four assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.9 blocks per game this season.
