As it has been during Victor Wembanyama’s season-and-a-half with the San Antonio Spurs, a little patience will go a long way.
The team announced Thursday it is shutting down the phenom for the remainder of the season after Wembanyama was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, a type of blood clot, in his right shoulder.
It’s a massive blow for Wembanyama, who has labored to get his 7-foot-3, 235-pound frame into the type of shape capable of withstanding an NBA season. And for the Spurs, who earlier this month acquired star point guard De’Aaron Fox, it’s an emotional setback that appears likely to derail the rest of the season.
Wembanyama is the centerpiece of San Antonio’s rebuild. He is singular, a player whose shooting range, defensive length, ball handling and finesse in the low block make him an unparalleled matchup problem on both ends of the floor.
When Wembanyama was on the court this season, the Spurs posted a plus-minus of +2.5; when he was off it, that number plunged to -7.9. This season, his player impact estimate, which is a percentage of the positive outcomes a player has contributed to, was 16.8. That ranks sixth-best in the NBA.
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Yet, the Spurs (23-29) are currently 12th in the Western Conference and limped into the All-Star break, losing 13 of their last 18 games.
Even with Fox in the fold, it’s difficult to see San Antonio making any real push to scrap into the play-in window, especially since head coach Gregg Popovich continues to be out indefinitely as he recovers from a mild stroke suffered in November.
Simply put, without Wembanyama, San Antonio appears headed to another lost season, potentially its sixth in a row without a postseason berth.
The Spurs, though, have a luxury most teams do not: they can be deliberate.
Wembanyama is only 21 and only just tapping into his immense potential. San Antonio also hit on its 2024 first-round draft pick, guard Stephon Castle, who has improved significantly over the course of the season. Castle is 20. Fox, 27, is signed for at least one more season, though San Antonio presumably executed that trade with the intention to retain him beyond the expiration of his current contract.
The Spurs also currently own a pair of first-round selections in the 2025 NBA draft, which is one projected to be fairly loaded with talent. And San Antonio’s own pick, if the team struggles the rest of the way without Wembanyama, should become even more valuable.
Wembanyama has already shown he can elevate the Spurs to greatness.
On Christmas Day, in a game against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden, Wembanyama dropped 42 points and hauled in 18 rebounds to nearly will the Spurs to an upset; they lost by three points.
A little more than one week later, on Jan. 3, Wembanyama scored 35 points on an ultra-efficient 14-of-22 shooting and plucked 18 more rebounds to lead an upset over the Nuggets in Denver. What was notable about that game was that, with the Spurs up by one, it was Wembanyama who was tasked with guarding three-time MVP Nikola Jokić as time wound down in the fourth quarter; Wembanyama would deflect Jokić’s pass attempt, leading to a game-sealing steal.
A first-time All-Star, Wembanyama was averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a league-best 3.8 blocks per game this season. He was a fringe Most Valuable Player candidate and arguably the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year.
It is now imperative for Wembanyama to recover fully. Though serious, players can return to action after facing blood clot issues. In fact, Ausar Thompson, a player selected four picks after Wembanyama was in the 2023 NBA draft, faced a similar issue and was cleared in November to play for the Pistons.
Spurs fans may recall Wembanyama’s stellar rookie season, when San Antonio patiently implemented a strict minutes restriction on his playing time to ease his assimilation into the NBA.
Success may yet be coming for Wembanyama and the Spurs. It’s just going to take a little more time.
