Update: Wembanyama has started the second half, so it appears he likely aggravated his shoulder injury and is going to play through it. We’ll see how much run he gets given San Antonio’s position in the standings this late in the season, especially if he shows more signs of the injury being an issue.
San Antonio Spurs rookie big man Victor Wembanyama went back to the locker room in Tuesday’s contest against the Houston Rockets for unspecified reasons, although he was dealing with a shoulder injury ahead of the contest. Wembanyama has 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks as the game hits halftime. There should be an update on his status soon.
Bill Land just said Victor Wembanyama is heading to the locker room with 3 1/2 minutes left in the first half. Wemby was questionable with a shoulder injury but cleared after warmups. Not sure if his early departure has anything to do with his shoulder. Hopefully not.
— Raul Dominguez Jr. (@DominguezCinco) March 6, 2024
The Spurs rookie has been a dominant force over the last few weeks, especially on the defensive end. He has created massive separation in the Rookie of the Year race thanks to his impressive production, and is the clear favorite priced at -2500 at DraftKings Sportsbook. At one point, Wembanyama was behind Thunder big man Chet Holmgren to win this honor.
If Wembanyama is unable to return to the game, the Spurs will likely lean on Zach Collins to fill the void in the middle. Wembanyama hasn’t played as a traditional center too much this season, so Collins is actually a better positional fit there. However, he doesn’t impact the opponent defensively like the rookie does. Jeremy Sochan might also get some looks in small-ball lineups.