The San Antonio Spurs have decided to sit out Victor Wembanyama for their upcoming game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to right ankle injury management. This decision comes as part of a cautious approach to injury management, especially considering Wembanyama's recent heavy playtime, including a season-high 43 minutes against Philadelphia and 30-plus minutes in his last 7 games. Despite his desire to play, Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich emphasized the importance of taking a long-view decision and erring on the side of caution, reflecting on the necessity of not pushing the player too hard following a foot injury earlier in the season. Popovich's decision aligns with his strategy of prioritizing player health and future performance, even though it has left Wembanyama not a happy camper about missing the game.
"I feel bad because [Wemby] is not a happy camper right now. He wants to be out there, but I'm looking at the long view." Gregg Popovich on Victor Wembanyama not playing in the Spurs-Thunder game 🗣️ (via @BallySportsSA) https://t.co/iFkuggbL7K
Updated with Pop’s reasoning for ruling Wemby out for tonight at OKC: “…It just doesn't make sense to me to push it, because if something did happen, I'd have to look in the mirror and say, ‘What the hell were you thinking?’ " https://t.co/YsBwtLpFN9
Final word from Pop on his decision to rule out Wemby tonight due to right ankle injury management): "Fortunately for me, he's smart enough to understand that (it's a long-view decision) even though he doesn't like it, and that's where we are."
More from Pop on his decision to sit Wemby: "…The last back-to-back, it just doesn’t make sense to me to push it. Because if something did happen, I would have to look in the mirror and say, ‘What the hell were you thinking?’ So I have to think long-term like we did with Timmy.”
Pop on #Spurs ruling Wemby out on the second night of a back-to-back: “I feel badly because he is not a happy camper right now with me. He wants to be out there, but I am looking at the long view."
Spurs ruling Wemby out for tonight comes as no surprise after Pop said in Memphis it was possible: "It's a question because we held him out of a lot of the back-to-backs when he had that foot thing. Now down the stretch, I'm not sure it makes sense to push it."
Some news from OKC: #Spurs will rule Wemby out for tonight at Thunder due to right ankle injury management. He wants to play, but Pop decided to err on side of caution in 2nd of a b2b. Plus, he's played 30-plus minutes his last 7 games, including season-high 43 vs. Philly.
On Victor Wembanyama, admitting he's way behind one ambitious schedule he set for himself as a kid, while making it look way too easy keeping the Spurs on theirs: https://t.co/UPuUp8SEDQ via @expressnews
Wemby vs OKC 2morrow? Pop: “We’re going to talk it out. Assuming it’s a question because we’ve held him out in a lot of the B2Bs once he had that foot thing. & now down the stretch I'm not sure it makes much sense to push him. We’ll see how he feels, how his body is, 2 decide”