For the second straight year, San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama is set to miss a decent chunk of time with an injury. Given that he’s a size the NBA has rarely ever seen, it’s of note that the center has suffered a lower-body injury. Yao Ming suffered foot injuries and was never the same, and we’re hoping Wembanyama doesn’t follow Ming’s footsteps into ‘what if’ territory.
Another Victor Wembanyama injury brings up an unfortunate question
Victor Wembanyama is set to miss “weeks” with a calf injury. Fortunately, it’s not a bone injury, so the troubles that plagued Yao Ming have been staved off, at least for now. But it is another season where the basketball world is robbed of seeing its most unique talent on the floor for 82 games.
He’s had a variety of injuries throughout his NBA career, though none of them are particularly troubling for his long-term survival. There’s no torn ACL, broken foot, or anything of that nature. And it’s hard to fault him, for example, on the blood clot issue he had last year. But the point remains that Wembanyama has a hard time staying healthy. Only in year three, that’s not ideal. As he continues to age, health might be a bigger issue down the line, and it could rob the NBA of a truly stellar and lengthy career.
The Spurs are rightly showing an abundance of caution, and he’s to be evaluated again in two to three weeks. “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 via ESPN. “Don’t want to push it there.”
Wembanyama has played 129 games out of a possible 177, which isn’t a horrible ratio in the modern NBA. But as his usage has gone up in the last two years, the games played have gone down. That’s never a good sign for the face of a franchise and someone who could be, in a year or two, the best player in the entire world.
That claim is probably held by Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo (also hurt now), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, or Luka Doncic, but those players can’t do what Wembanyama can. He blocks shots like no one else in basketball. He’s so feared at the rim that players won’t even bother attempting layups if he’s anywhere in the vicinity. Opponents have gotten past him and literally passed out of short shots because they’re afraid Wembanyama will block the shot.
But he’s not just a defensive anchor. He’s also extremely gifted offensively. It’s no surprise that a 7’4” player can dunk on anyone and go up for lobs like few others. He’s not a high flyer, but he doesn’t have to leave the ground much to get the ball where no one else can get it. If the ball goes up high, it’s hard to stop the Spurs star.
That’s not all, though. He’s also an incredible ball-handler. His dribbling is remarkable for someone his size, so he presents a unique challenge for anyone guarding him one-on-one. And if they do stop him from dribbling past, he can shoot. 34% from three is not a stellar percentage, but teams do not want to leave him wide open. He can and will make shots from pretty much anywhere on the floor. The best offensive players are like that, but they’re not also towering over everyone and blocking pretty much every conceivable shot. Wembanyama is a special, special talent, and we can only hope that these injuries don’t continue so he can rack up the hardware and so we can enjoy the product along the way.
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