French phenom Victor Wembanyama missed his first game of the 2025-26 season on Sunday, sitting out with left calf tightness. It was initially believed that the Spurs rested Wemby so he could recover from the rigorous schedule the previous week, which included two close games against the Warriors.
However, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson revealed after the game that the team was being cautious after Wemby complained about “something that he felt” in his calf.
“It’s just something that he felt,” Johnson said of Wemby, via ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “I don’t think there was a specific play [against the Warriors].
“Obviously, we’ve seen around this league recently, the calf-tightness thing is not something you want to take lightly. So, [we’ve] just got to get some more information. Don’t want to push it there.”
To Johnson’s point, several calf strains in recent years have led to catastrophic Achilles tears, with Kevin Durant and Tyrese Haliburton learning the hard way.
Wemby Injury Update
As such, the Spurs were perfectly justified in being cautious about their generational star, after listing him as questionable barely hours before tip-off on Sunday.
“Again, [with] calf tightness, there are certain things that you don’t want it to be a gateway thing or anything like that,” Johnson stressed.
“So, you just need to be clear on what’s going on out of precaution here.”
The Spurs also lost Stephon Castle, the reigning Rookie of the Year, to a hip injury during Sunday’s 123-110 win over the Sacramento Kings. The athletic guard played 16 minutes in the first half but did not return to the court for the second period.
Spurs Win Without Wemby, Castle
Luckily for the Spurs, the losses of Wemby and Castle didn’t hamper their performance on the court, as De’Aaron Fox led the way with 28 points and 11 assists. Furthermore, six other Spurs scored in double digits, including Luke Kornet (13 points), Harrison Barnes (20 points), Devin Vassell (16 points), Keldon Johnson (14 points), Julian Champagnie (12 points) and Jeremy Sochan (11 points).
It was arguably the most impressive win of the season and a showcase of the Spurs’ depth, which will only improve with the impending return of star rookie Dylan Harper.
The Spurs are expected to have Harper (calf) back in the lineup imminently.
“It’s getting better,” Johnson said of Harper’s injury, via ESPN.
“He’s out of the boot. You’ve just got to build that thing up. For every day that you were in the boot or off the court, you’ve probably got to hit it on the other side. It’ll be good to have him back on the court ramping up pretty soon.”
The Spurs (9-4) are almost a lock to end their six-year playoff drought this season. When they are fully healthy, they could potentially beat any team in a seven-game series, save for the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder or the veteran Denver Nuggets.
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