The San Antonio Spurs have provided an update on the potential return of Victor Wembanyama from a minor knee injury. Wembanyama has missed the last two games after hyperextending his left knee against the New York Knicks on December 31.
In his pregame interview last Saturday, coach Mitch Johnson revealed that Wembanyama is doing well in his rehab. He’ll join the Spurs for their road game against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 6, with Johnson hinting that their superstar center could make his return there.
“That’s more than a couple of days away, so we’ll have to see how it goes, but it’s going well. We all want him to play. I know he’s champing at the bit, and we’ll get him out there as soon as we can,” Johnson said, via Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.
The Spurs went 1-1 since Wembanyama’s injury on New Year’s Eve, beating the Indiana Pacers and losing to the Portland Trail Blazers. They have an overall record of 10-4 this season without the French sensation. Wemby still has a three-game leeway for his awards eligibility.
Wembanyama Downplays His Knee Injury
The Frost Bank Center fell silent after Victor Wembanyama suffered a left knee injury early in the fourth quarter of the San Antonio Spurs’ game against the New York Knicks. It was eerily similar to Nikola Jokic’s left knee injury a few days before, which ruled out the three-time MVP for four weeks.
However, Wembanyama downplayed the severity of his knee injury after the game. He even told reporters that he planned to return to the game, but the Spurs’ training staff decided against it.
“I was confident. I was this close to coming back in the game. (They) had to hold me back. It was just a hyperextension, so it should be minimal. We’ve got to do everything tomorrow still to check that everything’s OK,” Wembanyama said, via ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
According to the official press release by the Spurs, Wembanyama was diagnosed with minor hyperextension of his left knee. He underwent an MRI, and there was no ligament damage. He was deemed day-to-day, with an estimated return date of January 6.
Spurs 6-0 When Wembanyama Comes Off The Bench
Victor Wembanyama returned from a 12-game absence due to a calf injury on December 13 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Wembanyama came off the bench, but the San Antonio Spurs still beat the defending NBA champions.
The Spurs continued bringing Wembanyama off the bench in their next five games, which they all won. They technically lost the NBA Cup Final to the New York Knicks, but it doesn’t count as part of the regular season.
San Antonio has an impressive record of 6-0 with Wembanyama as the first player off the bench. It will be very interesting to see if the Spurs are cautious with their superstar upon his return from a knee injury.
It won’t be surprising if coach Mitch Johnson brings him off as a substitute for the next few games to get his rhythm back. The Spurs have an upcoming tough schedule after the road game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
They’ll face the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Thunder once again. It should be noted that the Spurs are 3-0 against the defending NBA champs this season so far.
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