Shockingly, Year Two of the Victor Wembanyama experience has come to an end after 46 games, which will also abruptly halt the second-year big’s quest to win Defensive Player of the Year. The French superstar has a deep vein thrombosis — effectively, a blood clot — in his right shoulder, per ESPN’s Shams Charania, and while it is not thought to be a long-term concern, San Antonio made the decision to shut him down for the remainder of the season.
Wembanyama had -2000 odds to win Defensive Player of the Year at DraftKings Sportsbook. With him suddenly ineligible, Memphis Grizzlies power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. will likely become the favorite to win.
Prior to Wembanyama’s injury, the Spurs were hanging around the edges of the Play-In Tournament race with a 23-29 record, but they are sure to drop precipitously in the standings now that their star is out. With Wembanyama on the floor, San Antonio has outscored its opponents by 2.9 points per 100 possessions, but with him out, the Spurs have been outscored by 9.1 points per 100 possessions, which would be the second-worst net rating in the league.
In the short term, Wembanyama’s injury will provide more opportunities for Rookie of the Year favorite Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox, but the team’s long-term horizon is analyzing how those pieces fit around the generational talent, so his injury muddles that picture, too. Jeremy Sochan will likely slide back into the starting five in his absence.
Instead of becoming a dangerous Play-In Tournament team with the potential to upset a Western Conference giant in the first round, San Antonio will almost certainly slip into the lottery chase and set its eye on the top of the draft board. Right now, the Spurs have the 10th-worst record in the league with 30 games remaining in the season.
