San Antonio Spurs Injury Report (Nov 14): Latest update on Devin Vassell and Tre Jones’s status
The San Antonio Spurs will play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the latest round of the NBA's in-season tournament. The Spurs have won just three of their first 10 games this season despite the addition of star rookie Victor Wembanyama this summer.
At the time of writing, San Antonio can expect Devin Vassell to be available for their upcoming game. However, Tre Jones is listed as questionable due to right hamstring tightness.
There are also question marks over Keldon Johnson and Jeremey Sochan's availability, with both players being listed as questionable heading into the game.
For the Spurs, this season is all about talent development. They were never expected to be a contending team or even to fight for a playoff spot. Instead, getting their young talents plenty of playing time and on-court reps has been the focus.
Wembanyama has superstar potential; ensuring he plays enough to develop his game and become accustomed to the NBA is the most important thing.
San Antonio has one of the best coaches in NBA history on their sidelines. Gregg Popovich is coaching his team hard and looking to force those developments, especially with some of the veteran youngsters such as Vassell and sophomore Sochan.
Victor Wembanyama is still a work in progress for the San Antonio Spurs
Despite his highlights, watching Victor Wembanyama is proof that he's still a work in progress. Teams are figuring out ways to counter his skillset, primarily by defending the drive and letting him shoot from deep. The rookie big man is converting 29.8% of his perimeter shots over his first 10 games.
As the season continues, and Wembanyama has time to learn from game tape and his coaches, we will likely see the rookie employ some counters.
If defenses sag off, he may look to post them up and force them into the paint, where he can shoot over the top. Or he could become more of a ball mover, allowing him to relocate before demanding the ball back from his teammates.
Part of being a rookie in the NBA is learning how to counter what a defense throws at you. Wembanyama will also learn how to deal with the travel and tight schedule, two things that will be new to him following his career in France.
San Antonio will undoubtedly be patient with their star. They need him to develop at a steady pace while also remaining available for selection. If that means they let him play through his errors while also managing his minutes, that's exactly what they will do.
Wembanyama has shown he can be a difference-maker, but the consistency that he needs will only come with time.