Spurs’ Wembanyama sidelined for several weeks with left calf strain
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San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama will be out for “a few weeks” after an MRI revealed a left calf strain, sources told ESPN on Monday.
The organization plans to proceed cautiously with the 21-year-old, who will be reevaluated in two to three weeks, according to the source. Wembanyama had been listed as questionable Sunday because of calf tightness but was ruled out before the Spurs defeated the Sacramento Kings.
“Obviously, we’ve seen around this league recently, the calf-tightness thing is not something you want to take lightly,” head coach Mitch Johnson said after the game. “Don’t want to push it there.”
Wembanyama logged 38 minutes in Friday’s physical NBA Cup contest against the Golden State Warriors, finishing with a team-best 26 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks. That performance marked his third straight game with at least 25 points and 10 rebounds, matching the longest such streak of his career, according to ESPN Research.
With Wembanyama unavailable Sunday, free-agent signing Luke Kornet stepped into the starting lineup and produced 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting along with three blocks, recording a plus/minus of plus-13. Veterans Kelly Olynyk and Bismack Biyombo are also expected to see increased minutes during the star center’s absence.
Through 13 games of his third NBA season, Wembanyama is averaging career highs of 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists while leading the league with 3.6 blocks per game. He was seen in the locker room after Sunday’s win wearing a small sleeve on the injured calf but did not appear to be in discomfort.
Source: ESPN
