The San Antonio Spurs are winning without Victor Wembanyama — but all eyes are on when their 7-foot-4 superstar finally steps back on the floor.
After missing 12 straight games with a left calf strain, Wembanyama is now described as “very, very close” to returning, just as the Spurs head to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup semifinals and possibly the final.
Wembanyama Still Out, But the Countdown Has Started
The Spurs officially ruled Wembanyama
out for their NBA Cup quarterfinal against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena, extending his absence to a 12th consecutive game.
He suffered the calf strain on
November 14 against the Golden State Warriors, with initial imaging suggesting a
2–3 week recovery window. The team, however, has stretched that timeline, choosing caution over urgency as their 21‑year‑old franchise player ramps up his workload.
According to team updates and local reporting:
- Wembanyama has
resumed full practices, including before the team’s trip to Los Angeles.
- He went through
2-on-2 scrimmages in New Orleans before advancing to
5-on-5 work in L.A., a key benchmark in his rehab.
- The Spurs’ medical staff is now focused on how his calf
responds over several days of increased intensity.
Head coach
Mitch Johnson made it clear: the stakes of the NBA Cup won’t dictate the timeline.
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“All of the added excitement is not going to play into the decision on if he plays or not… that’s more of an outside narrative.”‘Very Much’ A Chance He Plays In Vegas
The real intrigue now centers on
Las Vegas.
After the Spurs knocked off the Lakers to reach the NBA Cup semifinals, Johnson confirmed there is
“very much” a chance Wembanyama could
return Saturday for the semifinal matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Johnson said Wembanyama had
“a very good day” on Wednesday and that the team will monitor how his body reacts before clearing him for game action. Reporting from national outlets and local media lines up on the same key point:
- There is
legitimate optimism he could debut in Vegas — but it is still contingent on how his calf holds up after recent workloads.
- If he does play, the Spurs are expected to
monitor his minutes given the nature of the injury and his lengthy layoff.
Some coverage also notes that if he does
not return in Vegas, a more conservative scenario would target
December 17 vs. the Washington Wizards, when the Spurs resume regular-season play after a week-long break.
Spurs Have Survived — And Thrived — Without Him
Here’s the wild part: San Antonio has been
winning without Wembanyama.
Since he went down, the Spurs have:
- Gone
8–3 in one stretch without him, including a key road win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
- Improved that to
9–3 after beating the Lakers to reach the NBA Cup semifinals, per national reports.
- Overall, different reports peg their recent run without him at
10–2 as they’ve surged through the Cup schedule.
That success has come behind a revamped backcourt trio and strong depth:
- Guards
De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper have carried much of the scoring and playmaking load.
- Veteran
Keldon Johnson has framed the Cup atmosphere as a huge growth moment for an extremely young roster.
Still, everyone in the organization knows what Wembanyama brings back to the floor.
The Level He Was Playing At Before the Injury
Before the calf strain, Wembanyama was putting up the kind of numbers that justify every bit of the hype.
Across his first 12 games this season, he averaged:
-
26.2 points per game-
12.0–12.9 rebounds per game (slight variation across sources)
-
4.0 assists per game-
3.6 blocks per game (leading the NBA)
- Around
1.1 steals per gameThose counting stats were matched by impact:
- Several outlets had him as an
early Defensive Player of the Year candidate, thanks to his rim protection and versatility.
- In his third season, he was being discussed as an
All-NBA level player and a name that could appear on
MVP ballots if he stayed healthy.
The only cloud hanging over award chatter: the league’s
65-game minimum requirement for most major regular-season awards. Every missed game makes that threshold harder to reach, especially with a cautious timetable.
Why The Spurs Are Being So Careful
If you’re wondering why the Spurs don’t just push him back now that the lights are brightest, the logic is simple:
calf strains are tricky, especially for a player of Wembanyama’s size.
Johnson has repeatedly emphasized:
- Practice and scrimmages, no matter how intense, are
not the same as an NBA game.
- The staff wants to ensure there’s minimal risk of
re-injury or compensation issues, which can lead to more serious problems (like Achilles injuries) in big men.
Teammates are backing the cautious approach. As forward Keldon Johnson put it:
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“When he’s ready to come back, we’re ready for him, but until then, his health is our main thing.”That’s classic Spurs — long-term thinking over short-term adrenaline.
What His Return Would Mean For The NBA Cup — And Beyond
If Wembanyama steps on the floor in Las Vegas, the ripple effects are huge:
- The Spurs suddenly add a
top-10 caliber player to a team that’s already hot.
- Against a Thunder squad described as “near unbeatable” in recent form, his size and shot-blocking would be a massive counterweight.
- From a league perspective, having Wembanyama front and center on a neutral-site stage in Vegas is exactly the kind of
marquee showcase the NBA envisioned with the Cup.
If the Spurs decide to wait until the Wizards game or later, it still doesn’t derail the bigger picture:
- San Antonio has proven it can
compete and grow without rushing its star.
- Wembanyama gets a better chance at a
fully stable comeback, instead of one dramatic but risky return.
Either way, the next week feels like a turning point in his season — and maybe in the Spurs’ trajectory.
What To Watch Next
For fans tracking every update, here’s what matters most in the coming days:
-
Official game statuses from the Spurs ahead of the NBA Cup semifinal in Las Vegas.
- Any reports about
setbacks or soreness after his recent 5‑on‑5 sessions.
- How the Spurs’ frontcourt rotation — Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk, Jeremy Sochan — is used, which can sometimes hint at how close Wembanyama is.
One thing is clear: whether it happens under the Vegas spotlight or back home in San Antonio,
Victor Wembanyama’s return is coming — and the league is on standby.
Sources
1. Victor Wembanyama 'Very Close' to Return as Spurs Eye ...
2. Is Victor Wembanyama playing tonight vs the Los Angeles ...
3. Victor Wembanyama 'very much' could return to court ...
4. victor wembanyama news - SAN ANTONIO SPURS
5. Spurs' Victor Wembanyama ruled out for NBA Cup ...
6. Will Spurs star Victor Wembanyama suit up in Las Vegas?
