Victor Wembanyama is expected to return for the Spurs against the Thunder in the NBA Cup West Semifinals.
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama is expected to return to the court (Spurs have him listed as “probable”) against the Thunder in the 2025 NBA Cup West Semifinals after missing weeks due to a calf injury.
“Right now, I’m feeling great,” Wembanyama said Friday in Las Vegas, host city of the NBA Cup Semifinals. “I’m feeling great, I’m ready to go.”
His return will be a massive boon for the Spurs, who will have to face the seemingly invincible Thunder, which has lost only once this season.
However, do not expect him to log heavy minutes, according to head coach Mitch Johnson.
“He’s just so excited to be back out on the court,” said Johnson. “Obviously, in a game like this, it would be regardless.”
Said Johnson: “So I would suspect an early sub and not his normal minutes.”
This approach is par for the course for the Spurs, who prioritize player health over games of significance, such as the game against the Thunder.
But the Spurs head coach left the door open for the restriction to be lifted before tipoff.
“Still ongoing conversations on what that looks like,” he said.
Wemby is averaging 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.6 blocks this season, and the Spurs have fared well without him, going 9-3 in his absence and maintaining a top record in the West at 17-7.
This season, Wembanyama has played only one game under 30 minutes (29.7), against Dallas on Oct. 15, when he scored 40 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.
But despite his significant presence on both sides of the court and his ability to significantly improve the Spurs’ chances of beating the Thunder, Johnson is aware that Wemby’s conditioning may not be up to par yet.
“He’s going to be tired, the excitement, the mental fatigue. He was tired the first time I saw him play live against video guys,” he said.
And the Spurs All-Star is perfectly fine with the Spurs’ cautious approach in his return.
“It’s true that if it were only me, I’d have come back earlier,” he said. “But I think it’s more reasonable to listen to them and do as they said, because there was no reason to take an inconsiderate risk two days after my injury. I have to trust the process.”