Is Victor Wembanyama playing tonight against OKC Thunder? Latest injury update on Spurs star ahead of Emirates NBA Cup game (Nov. 19)
The San Antonio Spurs will be sweating over Victor Wembanyama's absence as the big man is ruled out for their Emirates NBA Cup matchup against the OKC Thunder at the Frost Bank Center on Monday. The French phenom played in their opening game of the marquee tournament against the LA Lakers but was sidelined for the next regular season game against the Dallas Mavericks. His absence was felt as the Spurs went down 110-93.
Wembanyama had earlier stated that his knee was not at 100 percent following the loss against the Lakers. Despite banging knees with LA center Anthony Davis, the San Antonio mainstay continued to play and ended with 28 points in the loss. He was later diagnosed with a right knee contusion that saw him miss the next game against the Mavericks.
Per the NBA's latest injury report, Wemby has been listed as unavailable with the knee contusion, and that comes as a major blow for the side already without Jeremy Sochan. His unavailability will be a massive concern for the Spurs whose offense dips drastically when he's off the floor.
Former DPOY Joakim Noah highlights Victor Wembanyama's greatest strength
Speaking on the latest episode of 'The Young Man & The Three' podcast, former DPOY and Chicago Bulls star Joakim Noah highlighted what made Victor Wembanyama special. He lauded the young superstar's IQ:
"I think his best skill is his intelligence. You can’t take away the fact that he’s 7-foor-4, he can jump to the sky, he can jump to the moon. He’s a hell of a player. His mobility, you can’t teach those things.
"Then you add in his IQ, him going to sleep early, reading books, all those things that we learn about him. I was blessed to meet his family. Big shout out to his mom and his pops as well for raising just like a good human, he’s solid all around."
Wembanyama was one of the contenders for the Defensive Player of the Year award last season. The honors were awarded to his France teammate Rudy Gobert. Now, Wemby is once again looked at as a legit contender for the award as he plays his second season in the NBA.
Much of San Antonio's playoff aspirations depend on Victor Wembanyama's rapidly evolving run in the league. Only time will tell if he can lead the Spurs to the postseason.