Is Victor Wembanyama playing tonight? Exploring the Spurs star’s availability vs Portland Trail Blazers | 2024-25 NBA season
Victor Wembanyama’s status against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday is uncertain. The San Antonio Spurs haven't submitted their injury report yet, as they are playing a back-to-back set. Wembanyama’s green light to play will come hours before the 9 a.m. ET tip-off.
Last season, “Wemby” played 71 of the Spurs’ 82 games. He suited up on every back-to-back schedule when healthy. The Frenchman hasn’t suffered any injuries this season, so he's likely to play against the Blazers.
Wembanyama played just 25 minutes in the Spurs’ 127-100 loss to the Houston Rockets less than 24 hours ago. Assistant coach Mitch Johnson, filling in for Gregg Popovich, took him out when the Rockets’ lead ballooned to 29. Wembanyama, after a short stint against the Rockets, could see action versus the Blazers.
How Victor Wembanyama fares against Scoot Henderson
Victor Wembanyama holds a 2-1 record against Scoot Henderson, who the Blazers drafted No. 3 in 2023.
Henderson told reporters before the draft that teams should pick him first, ahead of the Frenchman. San Antonio, unsurprisingly, took “Wemby” first before Charlotte grabbed Brandon Miller. Henderson went to Portland after Miller had gone to the Hornets.
Henderson gets to even his record against Wembanyama in their head-to-head on Thursday. The Spurs are missing some key players ,so the win-loss slate between the two could be even after this game.
The Spurs revolve around Victor Wembanyama
With or without coach Gregg Popovich, the San San Antonio Spurs have shown that Victor Wembanya is the focal point of the offense.
The Spurs added Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes in the offseason, but everything still goes through the Frenchman. In many ways, the Spurs still live and die by how the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year performs.
On defense, the Spurs continue to rely heavily on the 7-foot-4 center. When he's on the floor, the Spurs are 10th in defensive rating. San Antonio drops to 22nd when he's on the bench.
The San Antonio Spurs are 3-5 and will need Wembanyama to be at his best to move close to the .500 mark. Fans will be interested to see if he plays the second night of a back-to-back set this early in the season.