The San Antonio Spurs got some good news ahead of ahead of their NBA Cup semifinal game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Las Vegas on Saturday.
After an extended stint on the sideline due to a calf strain, star center Victor Wembanyama is expected to return to action against the Thunder, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Wembanyama has been out since Nov. 14 with the injury.
Victor Wembanyama expected to play in NBA Cup game vs. Thunder
While the Spurs are obviously eager for Wembanyama's return, they've managed to thrive in his absence. The French phenom missed 12 consecutive games for San Antonio, and the team went 9-3 during that span. They currently sit fourth in the Western Conference standings with a 17-7 record.
The play of star guard De'Aaron Fox has been a bit factor in San Antonio's success without Wembanyama. After missing the first several games of the season with a hamstring injury, Fox has been playing some productive ball for the Spurs. In 16 games, he's averaging 24.0 points, 6.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per performance.
Meanwhile, Wembanyama appeared in 12 games before the calf injury and was playing some of the best ball of his young career. In those games he posted averages of 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.
He was also the heavy favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, however his ability to win that award is now in jeopardy due to the 65-game minimum threshold that was established by the NBA a couple of years back.
If the Spurs are able to defeat the Thunder on Saturday, they will move onto the NBA Cup final against the winner of the East Semifinal game between the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic. The Cup Final will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 16.