SAN ANTONIO — Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama will be sidelined for a few weeks due to a left calf strain, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Monday.
The Spurs are erring on the side of caution in bringing back the franchise cornerstone, who underwent an MRI on Sunday. A source told ESPN that Wembanyama will be reevaluated in two to three weeks.
Listed as questionable early Sunday due to left calf tightness, Wembanyama was ruled out ahead of the tipoff for San Antonio’s victory against the Sacramento Kings.
Editor’s Picks
“Obviously, we’ve seen around this league recently, the calf-tightness thing is not something you want to take lightly,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said Sunday. “Don’t want to push it there.”
Wembanyama, 21, played 38 minutes during a physical NBA Cup matchup Friday against the Golden State Warriors and scored a team-high 26 points with 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks. It was Wembanyama’s third-straight performance with 25 points and 10 rebounds, matching the longest such streak of his career, according to ESPN Research.
Veteran free agent addition Luke Kornet started in Wembanyama’s place Sunday and finished with 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting with three blocks. San Antonio specifically targeted Kornet in free agency to anchor the team’s frontcourt during the minutes when Wembanyama is off the floor. Kornet finished with a plus/minus of plus-13 in the win over the Kings.
Veteran Kelly Olynyk will also likely see an increase in minutes in Wembanyama’s absence, along with Bismack Biyombo.
In his third season, Wembanyama is averaging career highs in points (26.2), rebounds (12.9) and assists (4.0) while leading the league in blocks per game (3.6).
Wembanyama was seen in the locker room after Sunday’s game wearing a small sleeve on his injured calf but showed no signs of discomfort.
