The San Antonio Spurs announced that All-Star big man Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the season after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. The condition was found after he returned from All-Star Weekend, the team said. Wembanyama reportedly had low energy recently that the Spurs felt was concerning, and after participating in All-Star Weekend and taking a short vacation afterward didn't improve it, tests were done where the deep vein thrombosis was found.
Despite the diagnosis and missing the rest of the season, the Spurs are "very confident" that Wembanyama will make a full recovery for the start of next season. Obviously, the most important aspect of this news is Wembanyama's health. Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the deep veins in the human body. It usually occurs in the legs, but it can occur in the upper body. Wembanyama was the overwhelming favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year honors and was on track to make his first All-NBA Team this season before Thursday's news.
Wembanyama will not be eligible for end-of-season honors, however, as the NBA's major awards carry a 65-game requirement. He averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game this season in 46 appearances. He's just the seventh player in NBA history to average 24+ points & 3+ blocks per game in a season, and the first since Shaquille O'Neal in the 1999-2000 campaign. The Spurs' season is over if San Antonio's best player is unavailable. The Spurs' playoff drought is likely to extend to six seasons, after they had missed the postseason just four times previously since joining the NBA in 1976-77 -- and never in back-to-back seasons.
Here are some key statistics for Wembanyama's season:
- Average points per game: 24.3
- Average rebounds per game: 11
- Average blocks per game: 3.8
- Games played: 46
The Spurs are currently in 12th place in the Western Conference and are 3.5 games back of the 10th spot. Without Wembanyama, that kind of run surely isn't in the cards. Instead, the more interesting question now might be how high San Antonio can get in the lottery standings. The Spurs would enter the lottery in the 10th spot if the season ended today, the same position from which the Atlanta Hawks jumped up to No. 1 last year.
Wembanyama's injury also affects the NBA awards landscape. He was the clear favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, but now other players like Jaren Jackson Jr. and Evan Mobley have a chance to claim the award. The Spurs will likely focus on building around Wembanyama in the offseason, and they may look to add more talent to their roster through the draft or free agency. With Wembanyama out, the Spurs will have to rely on other players like De'Aaron Fox and Jeremy Sochan to lead the team for the rest of the season.
