NBA – Wembanyama still limited, Gregg Popovich explains: “It’s because of…

Victor Wembanyama and Gregg PopovichNBA (DR) / Kens 5 (DR)

Absent against the Bulls this Saturday evening, Victor Wembanyama is still not authorized to play back-to-backs, despite his current form. Just before the meeting, Gregg Popovich returned to this soap opera.

Beaten by the Bulls this Saturday, with a score of 122-116, the Spurs were not necessarily far from winning. Tre Jones was a hit with 30 points, while Devin Vassell largely missed out with his 1/13 shooting. An evening which remains encouraging for Gregg Popovich, happy to see that his players are improving better and better as the matches go on.

Victor Wembanyama still limited

Other important information to take into account: no, Victor Wembanyama was not present. Since he played against the Hornets on Friday, he was not allowed to play the next day against Chicago. His restrictions continue, which means Wemby was on the bench to encourage his team. And given his reaction, he wasn’t pretending.

GOOSEBUMPS‼️ pic.twitter.com/952uAQtP7Z

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 14, 2024

Frustrating we imagine for Wemby, even if he has since accepted the staff’s decision. It’s about looking at the long term and avoiding a serious ankle injury for the Frenchman. The good news according to Gregg Popovich? The person concerned will be re-evaluated in a little over a week, to see if he is recovering well after his twist in December.

At a press conference, however, the coach wanted to clarify something regarding this absence.

Pop clarified pre-game: “The doctors don’t keep him [Wembanyama] from playing back-to-back because of rest. It’s because of his body. They want to make sure everything is copacetic.”

The team has him listed as OUT due to “rest,” but we’ve been made clear all along the reasoning.

— Matthew Tynan (@Matthew_Tynan) January 14, 2024

Pop clarified before the match: “The doctors are not stopping Victor Wembanyama from playing back-to-backs to put him to rest. It’s because of his body. They want to make sure everything is going well. »

The team forfeited him due to “rest”, but the reasoning was always explained to us.

Clearly, Victor Wembanyama does not miss matches because he is tired following the series of matches. No, the doctors just prefer to make sure his body is okay, especially his ankle, before allowing him to play that much. We will know more very soon.