Mitch Johnson on Victor Wembanyama’s potential return against the Thunder
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Vembanyama was actively cheering for his teammates like them from the bench on Wednesday beat the Los Angeles Lakers 132-119for placement in the semi-finals NBA Cup.
While multiple reports point to his imminent return from a calf injury, Wembanyama was ruled out against the Lakers. He played the last 11 games.
However, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson gave a positive outlook as for the two-time All-Star before their matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Las Vegas on Saturday.
“(He could come back) so yeah. He had a very good day today. He had good intentions this morning, and we’ll have to see how he reacts and reacts tomorrow,” Robinson said, as quoted by Jared Weiss of the Athletic.
Vembanjama was having a great campaign when he suffered a calf problem. He is averaging career highs of 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists and 3.6 blocks.
But even in his extended absence, the Spurs held down the fort. They are 8-3 without the 7-foot-5 Vembanyama. Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper also missed several games with various injuries, but now that they’re all back, San Antonio has more momentum.
It will be a big difference against the Thunder if Vembanyama is fit. It’s also a little poetic that he was able to come back against the defending champion, who was nothing but dominant at 24-1. He would like nothing more than to end the Thunder’s 10-game winning streak and pick up where he left off.
2025-12-11 06:30:00
