The promising start to Victor Wembanyama’s third NBA season just got derailed, albeit only slightly.
The San Antonio Spurs announced Monday, Nov. 17 that Wembanyama underwent an MRI, revealing a left calf strain diagnosis. The team didn’t provide a timeline for him to be reevaluated and said they would provide updates “as appropriate.”
Although the Spurs did not provide a timeline, calf strains – depending on severity – can typically take at least a couple of weeks to heal.
This comes as a blow to Wembanyama, 21, who has posted monster numbers to start the season. It’s equally frustrating for the Spurs, who had only recently just returned to full health and are 9-4 and in fifth place in the Western Conference.
Victor Wembanyama injury update
Wembanyama suffered the injury Friday, Nov. 14, in a 109-108 loss against the Golden State Warriors. Wembanyama played 38:14 minutes and even finished the game, though he did sit for San Antonio’s following matchup, a 13-point victory Sunday, Nov. 16 against the Sacramento Kings.
In Friday’s game, Wembanyama scored 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting and hauled in 12 rebounds. He added three blocks to his league-leading total, giving him an astounding 43 on the season; Washington Wizards forward-center Alexandre Sarr, the next closest player, has 28 blocked shots.
Who is Victor Wembanyama’s backup on the Spurs depth chart?
Wembanyama is not a player easily replaced. He shifts between forward and center and can stretch and space the floor with his shooting range. He’s a force on defense, even when he doesn’t record a stat.
The Spurs are likely to tap backup center Luke Kornet to fill in. Kornet started Sunday’s game against the Kings, and scored 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting and scooped 11 boards. So far this season, San Antonio had thrown out lineups with Wembanyama and Kornet both on the floor at the same time, prompting fans to nickname the pair: French Vanilla.
This also means reserve center Kelly Olynyk, who is averaging just 9.3 minutes per game, will likely see more time on the court.
Victor Wembanyama stats
Wembanyama leads the Spurs in points (26.2), rebounds (12.9) and blocks (3.6) per game. He ranks first in the NBA in blocks and second in rebounds, trailing Nuggets center Nikola Jokić by just 0.1 rebounds per game.
Wembanyama has embraced efficiency, and is shooting a career-high 50.2% from the field, while reducing the number of 3 pointers he takes.
What does this mean for Victor Wembanyama?
After sitting most of last season with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, Wembanyama must be incredibly frustrated. Still, taking the cautious approach makes the most sense. A recent USA TODAY Sports article found that calf strains may be precursors to Achilles tendon ruptures in the NBA, if players return to action quicker than the general NBA population.
Wembanyama, though, worked on his body throughout the offseason and showed up bulked up and in excellent shape. He had already established himself firmly in the MVP conversation, and if he misses extended time, his eligibility for postseason awards could be jeopardized; for players to qualify for individual awards, they must play at least 65 games.
If Wembanyama is reevaluated in two weeks, as is usually the case with these injuries, he will miss seven games.
Stephon Castle injury
Adding to San Antonio’s issues, Spurs guard Stephon Castle, last season’s Rookie of the Year, suffered a hip injury Sunday against the Kings that forced him out of most of the game.
Castle played just 15:34 minutes and scored 4 points on 1-of-4 shooting, recording five assists before he left the game. It was unclear when the injury took place.
“To be honest, I’m not sure,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the game of Castle’s injury. “I believe it’s his hip, but I don’t know anything. I just was told that he wasn’t coming back in the game. There was no drastic fall or big incident, I don’t believe, maybe there was a play but I’m not sure.”
The Spurs just recently got guard De’Aaron Fox back, so he’ll likely take on a bigger role, as will backups Julian Champagnie and Lindy Waters III.