San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama will be out for a few weeks due to a left calf strain, according to sources close to the team. The team has decided to take precautions with its key player, who underwent an MRI on Sunday. Wembanyama is expected to be reevaluated within two to three weeks. Initially, his participation on Sunday had been questioned due to discomfort in his left calf, but he was finally ruled out before the game against the Sacramento Kings.
Wembanyama, 21 years old, played 38 minutes in a physical NBA Cup match on Friday against the Golden State Warriors, where he scored 26 points, leading the team, in addition to getting 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks. This was the player’s third consecutive performance with 25 points and 10 rebounds or more. In the absence of Wembanyama, Luke Kornet started on Sunday, finishing with 13 points and three blocks. San Antonio specifically sought Kornet in free agency to reinforce the team’s frontcourt when Wembanyama was not on the court. Kornet had a plus/minus of plus-13 in the victory against the Kings. Kelly Olynyk and Bismack Biyombo could also see an increase in their playing minutes during Wembanyama’s absence. In his third season, Wembanyama averages career highs in points (26.2), rebounds (12.9), and assists (4.0), as well as leading the league in blocks per game (3.6). After Sunday’s game, Wembanyama was seen in the locker room with a small bandage on his injured calf, but without showing signs of discomfort.Obviously, we’ve seen in this league recently that a calf strain is not something to be taken lightly. We don’t want to push it.
Mitch Johnson, Spurs Coach
