The Spurs are waiting on Victor Wembanyama.
The star big man was diagnosed with a concussion after a hard fall in the second quarter of Tuesday’s Game 2 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Coach Mitch Johnson said after the game that no additional injuries were found, with team officials echoing that sentiment, according to Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News.
That is the good news. The rest is less certain.
Concussions tend to come with unpredictable timelines. As Jeff McDonald of the Express-News notes, NBA data shows an average absence of seven to 10 days. That would likely sideline Wembanyama for at least Games 3 and 4, and possibly longer, depending on how he progresses through protocol.
Either way, it appears the Spurs are keeping it open-ended.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on NBA Today that Wembanyama was at the team facility Wednesday and is hoping to travel to Portland with the team. That decision has not been finalized, and his availability for Friday’s Game 3 remains unclear.
In the meantime, San Antonio knows it has to adjust quickly.
The Spurs let a 14-point fourth-quarter lead slip away in Game 2 after Wembanyama exited, a stretch that highlights just how much he anchors both ends of the floor.
“We all got to step up,” Devin Vassell told reporters. “We know what Vic brings to the table and we’ve played without him a couple of games this year. That’s huge void to fill.”
Game 3 is approaching. Whether Wembanyama is part of it is still to be determined.
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