The San Antonio Spurs were just a couple days removed from their tough loss in the NBA Cup championship game.
On Thursday, the Spurs decided they weren't taking any chances with Victor Wembanyama.
Wemby hasn't been back that long from injury, and the Spurs were playing the first game of a back-to-back.
So on this night, Wembanyama came off the bench, and he ended up playing only 17 minutes.
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Why did Victor Wembanyama come off the bench?
The Spurs did this as a precaution.
Wemby didn't even get on the floor in the first quarter.
NBA reporter Jared Weiss wrote on X, "Before the game, Mitch Johnson said he would be limited tonight because they intend for him to play in Atlanta tomorrow night."
Victor Wembanyama remains on the bench as the Spurs open the second quarter. Before the game, Mitch Johnson said he would be limited tonight because they intend for him to play in Atlanta tomorrow night. But still no sign of him coming in.
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) December 19, 2025
It does make sense for the Spurs to be careful. Webanyama is as important as any player in the NBA.
It's frustrating for those counting on Wemby for fantasy teams or wagers, but that obviously isn't something San Antonio is thinking about.
The Spurs want Wembanyama for the long run. So in the short term, they took it a little easy on their generational talent.
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