Seeing Victor Wembanyama dressed in street clothes is becoming an unfortunate habit. ANDThe center suffered a strain in his right calf on November 17 and he has missed his team’s next 10 games, being present in 12 of the 22 that the Spurs have played this season and dangerously close to 50%. There are 60 more crashes left to complete the 82 of regular season. And the French giant has to reach the magical barrier of 65 if he wants to qualify, as expected of him, for the individual awards at the end of the year, something important in an NBA in which they don’t stop talking about legacy and that he hopes that his new unicorn will mark an entire era. Something that the player also wants. But of course, things are as they are.
The last collective agreement approved by the best league in the world establishes that players who do not reach this figure will not be eligible for awards. Wembanyama played 71 in his first season alongside the legendary Gregg Popovich and won the Rookie of the Year, in addition to finishing second in the Best Defender award and entering the Best Defensive Quintet. But on February 20 of this same year he was ruled out for the rest of the campaign due to a deep vein thrombosis in the right shoulder. Therefore, He finished with 46 games played and wonderful statistics (24.3 points, 11 rebounds and 3.7 assists on average). But without being eligible for trophies. Something that may not matter to anyone but, again, it is something capital in the North American competition and in the way in which the debates and narratives move.
Therefore, and if Wembanyama does not want this to become a sad dynamic, he has to be present in at least 53 of the 60 games that remain for the Spurs. The latest information indicates that the player could be available before the always lucrative (for the NBA, of course) Christmas Day. If, in the worst case scenario, he lands that same day, he will miss 7 more games, so he will be even more on the limit in terms of reaching 65. And in all of this he is, barring a miracle, ruled out of the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, in which the Spurs will face the Lakers next Thursday, December 11. a piece of paper despite the fact that the Texans are maintaining their type with a very good note if we take into account that they do not have their messiah.
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The French giant averages, in the 12 games it has played this season, 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.6 blocks per night. He has gone to 9 double-doubles and 1 triple-double, shooting above 50% in field goals and 34% in triples, his Achilles curtain that he is gradually polishing, in addition to touching 86% in free throws, the top of his career. And on the way to 22 years old (he will turn 22 on January 4) he already has a good individual record and an Olympic silver at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. His numbers this campaign are enough to compete for the MVP, even more taking into account that the Spurs are at a masterful level and finally have a balanced squad. But none of that is of any use if he doesn’t reach 65 games. And we’ll see if it’s something specific or becomes a habit during his career. That’s how things are.
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