The San Antonio Spurs are one game away from the NBA Cup Final. In order to get there, they’ll have to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night, but that will be easier said than done. The defending-champion Thunder have lost just one game so far this season, and they look like a team ready to repeat.
But, the good news for the Spurs is that they’ll have some reinforcements for the matchup with Oklahoma City. After an extended stay on the sideline due to a calf injury, star center Victor Wembanyama will return for the game.
Victor Wembanyama to return for NBA Cup game vs. Thunder
Wembanyama has been out since Nov. 14 with the injury and missed 12 consecutive games for San Antonio as a result. Luckily, the Spurs were able to play some solid basketball in his absence, as they went 9-3 during the stretch.
Wembanbyama has been understandably eager to return to action, but he has to be patient and trust San Antonio’s medical staff.
"Of course, it has been hard to watch from my couch," Wembanyama said. "It's a lot of trust that comes into play both ways. I know I have a chance to be around the best staff in the world. So, I trust them very much. They trust me, [too] because I've shown them that I know my body and I give them good feedback. But it's true. If it was only me [making decisions], I would have come back earlier.
"But I think it's more reasonable to listen to them and do as they say because there was no reason to take inconsiderate risk two days after my injury. It was almost never painful or even uncomfortable. I had to trust the process."
In his 12 appearances so far this season, Wembanyama has posted averages of 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.