The injury bug has been more devious than ever over the past year in the NBA. Top stars like Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton have suffered serious injuries and are set to miss most, if not all, of the 25/26 season. Then, last week, Nikola Jokic hyperextended his knee, with the three-time MVP expected to miss at least a month of action. Victor Wembanyama followed with a similar injury, but he has avoided significant time on the sidelines. Still, given what has been happening across the league, the young star has been issued a stern warning over the situation.
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San Antonio fans did take a big sigh of relief after the MRI’s came back negative following Wemby’s knock against the Knicks. The 21-year-old Frenchman will sit out the upcoming game against the Pacers, but he’s already eyeing a return.
That said, some are wondering whether Wembanyama should simply lay low for a bit and avoid rushing back from a lower-extremity injury. This was the topic of discussion between analysts Tim MacMahon and Michael C. Wright on the latest edition of NBA on ESPN.
Wright pointed out that Wemby knows his body better than anyone else, and if he feels he is going to be okay, then he probably will be.
“He’s a dude that is very in tune with his body, and he kept saying, ‘I’m alright. I’m going to be fine. I’ll be ready to play the next game.’ Sure enough, the MRI comes back yesterday, and it’s clean,” stated Wright, who still thinks that someone in the Spurs organization should speak to Wemby to ensure that he isn’t forcing himself back from being hurt too early.
“Now comes the challenge of trying to talk Victor out of coming back too early. And I know that has been something that they are already considering. He’s going to be listed as questionable for Saturday against Portland, but they’re probably going to be talking him out of playing that game if they can.”
It’s always difficult to hear suggestions that one of the league’s most dynamic and exciting players needs to take it easy, but Wright does make a valid point. The Spurs can afford to test the waters with Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and Devin Vassell leading the charge, especially against the 10th-seeded Blazers, whom they face the day after their game against the Pacers.
That said, it’s not to suggest that the Spurs should take Portland lightly. Like San Antonio, the Blazers have also beaten the Oklahoma City Thunder this season.
“Victor has a great perspective about the whole thing,” added Wright. “He said basically the Spurs do a great job at getting guys ready to play, and I’m going to trust them as opposed to worrying about the 65-game rule. That’s just a mature perspective for a guy his age.”
That has been the narrative ever since Wembanyama joined the NBA. He is light-years ahead of his age in terms of maturity, and he has already shown how intent he is on pushing the game toward a more competitive standard.
At the end of the day, this is exactly the moment for San Antonio to lean into patience rather than urgency. Wembanyama is the future of the franchise, not a short-term solution for a random January game. If that means sitting him a little longer and letting the kids scrap for a win or two, so be it.
The Spurs were forced to shut down Wemby last year due to a clot in his arm. Rushing him back now would be the one mistake they cannot afford to make. A healthy Frenchman, paired with this squad, has already proven that they can beat anybody, including the defending champions.
