Category: Spurs Injury Report

Spurs’ Zach Collins MRI confirms torn labrum; will be ready for start of 2024-25

Collins’ career has been plagued by injury since his arrival in the league.

The San Antonio Spurs have announced that veteran big man Zach Collins injured his labrum after hyperextending his shoulder in the Spurs’ last game of the 2023-24 NBA season vs. the Detroit Pistons, per recent reporting from HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.

“Spurs center Zach Collins underwent an MRI in San Antonio that confirmed a torn labrum in his right shoulder, (San Antonio) says,” writes Scotto of the unfortunate injury. “Collins is scheduled to have surgery in the coming days and is expected to be fully recovered for the start of the 2024-25 season.”

Collins’ career has been plagued by injury since his arrival in the league, having crossed the 65-games played threshold just twice since being drafted in 2017, and missed the 2020-21 NBA season entirely.

A small silver lining is that this injury has nothing to do with the lower extremities that have been the cause of most of his missed games.

Collins averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists with San Antonio in 2023-24.

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Report: San Antonio to shut down Devin Vassell, Jeremey Sochan for season due to injury

The news likely signals an end to truly competitive basketball for San Antonio for the rest of 2023-24.

Fans of the San Antonio Spurs who were hoping to catch Devin Vassell or Jeremy Sochan live before the end of the NBA’s 2023-24 campaign will be disappointed to hear that both are being shut down for the rest of the season due to injuries.

According to recent reporting from the AP, Vassell and Sochan will spend the rest of this season healing up, with Vassell’s MRI today revealing that he has a stress reaction in the third metatarsal head of his right foot. Sochan reportedly is dealing with an ankle impingement in his left foot that will require arthroscopic surgery.

The news likely signals an end to truly competitive basketball for San Antonio for the rest of 2023-24, though expect plenty of interesting wrinkles from coach Gregg Popovich and Co. as they use what games remain to tinker.

The Spurs play the Denver Nuggets on the road this coming Tuesday night, and still have another tilt vs. Denver, the Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the New Orleans Pelicans left on the schedule.

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Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan could miss rest of season with ankle injury

San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan could miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

The San Antonio Spurs picked up a big win over the New York Knicks on Friday night, but it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Jeremy Sochan injured his ankle in the first half of the game and didn’t play in the second half. Unfortunately, this injury could hold him out for the remainder of the season.

Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News dove into Sochan’s official injury designation, as he was listed as dealing with an “ankle impingement.” According to the NBA.com definition that Osborn dug up, an ankle impingement “is a condition that causes a painful limitation of ankle range of motion due to a soft-tissue or bony abnormality.”

This is the type of thing that could force Sochan to miss multiple weeks of action, and considering there are only eight games left in the Spurs’ season, he may not return to action this year.

That’s a huge blow to a Spurs team that has found a rhythm over the course of the past week.

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Gregg Popovich clarifies Victor Wembanyama’s injury distinction

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich clarified Victor Wembanyama’s injury distinction.

The San Antonio Spurs traveled to North Carolina on Friday night to take on the Charlotte Hornets but ultimately fell short, losing 124-120. Zach Collins made his return to the lineup after missing some time due to injury, and Keldon Johnson led the team in scoring, pouring in 25 points off the pine.

And to make the tight game even more impressive, the Spurs did it without Victor Wembanyama, who was sidelined. The big man isn’t playing in back-to-backs, and since the Spurs are playing the Washington Wizards on Saturday night (with Wembanyama’s former teammate Bilal Coulibaly on the roster), they’re going to let him play in that one.

Wembanyama was listed on the injury report for “rest,” but head coach Gregg Popovich corrected that distinction.

“No, it’s not rest, it’s doctor’s orders,” Popovich said via ESPN. “He’s been working on his body and he has got a minutes restriction and is not allowed to play back-to-backs right now. It will probably change very soon but for now, we have to abide by that restriction.”

In addition to not playing in back-to-backs, the minutes restriction Popovich mentioned has also been hindering the rookie’s ability to play at key points in games.

He’s been dealing with an ankle issue ever since the freak injury prior to the Spurs’ game against the Dallas Mavericks.

Despite Wembanyama’s absence, Johnson, Collins, Devin Vassell, and Tre Jones kept Friday’s game against the Hornets close, but they just weren’t able to get the job done at the end of the night.

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Gregg Popovich gives new update on Victor Wembanyama injury restrictions

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich recently provided a new update on Victor Wembanyama’s injury and minutes restriction.

There hasn’t been too much to be happy about for the San Antonio Spurs this season, as they are on pace to tie the worst record in franchise history. That said, their play has looked better as of late. They’ve won two of their last three games and have been close to winning some others against quality teams.

However, they’ve been turning things around all while Victor Wembanyama has been on a minutes restriction. Following his freak injury prior to the Spurs’ game against the Dallas Mavericks, the Spurs have been very cautious with the rookie big man and his ankle.

Head coach Gregg Popovich recently delivered the latest update regarding his injury status, but there isn’t too much to report. (H/t Zach Dimmitt of Inside the Spurs)

“I don’t have a date,” Popovich said regarding when Wembanyama’s minutes restriction could end. “I think it might be within a week-and-a-half or so.”

Since the incident in Dallas, Wembanyama hasn’t cracked 27 minutes, even when the Spurs have been in close games. In addition, he’s not playing in back-to-backs, meaning he missed the Spurs’ recent game against the Chicago Bulls (which they lost despite an impressive showing).

When healthy, Wembanyama has been by far the best player on the Spurs this season. He’s averaging 19.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 45.2% from the field and 29.4% from behind the three-point line.

Getting him back to playing full minutes would be great for the Spurs, but what’s far more important is making sure that he gets healthy, as he is the entire future of the franchise.

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Victor Wembanyama injury status for Spurs’ game vs. Hawks

After missing the San Antonio Spurs’ last game, Victor Wembanyama’s injury status has been revealed for the Atlanta Hawks game.

After missing the San Antonio Spurs’ Saturday night game against the Chicago Bulls, Victor Wembanyama is not on the injury report for their game against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. He’ll be back on the court.

For the past few weeks, Victor Wembanyama has been dealing with an ankle injury that he suffered prior to the San Antonio Spurs game against the Dallas Mavericks. Since then, Wembanyama has been on a minutes restriction – a restriction that he’s been frustrated with, even leading to the rookie checking himself into a game. In addition to the minutes restriction, Wembanyama also hasn’t been able to play in back-to-backs for the Spurs.

So, after their recent win over the Charlotte Hornets, he couldn’t play against the Bulls on Saturday night. San Antonio fought until the end, but they weren’t able to pick up the win. Tre Jones and Keldon Johnson filled it up in the scoring column, posting 30- and 26-point games, respectively, but it wasn’t enough.

Wembanyama will be back out on the court on Monday just in time for the Spurs to take on a Hawks team that is spiraling.

Atlanta has lost two games in a row and four of their last five, including brutal losses to the bottom-feeding Washington Wizards and Tyrese Haliburton-less Indiana pacers.

Having Wembanyama on the court will give the Spurs a real chance to get back in the win column, as they’ve been playing at a much higher level over the past week or so. The postseason may not be in play, but their improvement has been significant.

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Victor Wembanyama injury status for Spurs’ game vs. Bulls

San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama’s injury status has been revealed for their game against the Chicago Bulls.

On Friday night, the San Antonio Spurs picked up their seventh win of the season, taking down the Charlotte Hornets in dominant fashion. They earned a 135-99 victory over LaMelo Ball, who made his return from injury after being out since November 28. Victor Wembanyama and company spoiled his return.

Wembanyama, who is still on a minutes restriction as he deals with an ankle injury, was awesome in his minutes, and Jeremy Sochan and Doug McDermott helped out along the way. Unfortunately, in tandem with his minutes restriction, Wembanyama is also dealing with some other limitations due to his ongoing injury (one he’s frustrated with).

According to Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News, Wembanyama will miss the Spurs’ Saturday night game against the Chicago Bulls, as he isn’t playing in back-to-backs right now.

“No Wembanyama tomorrow, as expected. Also no back-to-back next weekend,” Finger tweeted. “Popovich said he’ll be reevaluated shortly after that.”

Wembanyama finished the game against Charlotte with 26 points, 11 rebounds, one assist, and two blocks while shooting 9-of-14 from the field and 2-of-3 from behind the three-point line. He only played 19:41.

The Spurs are better with Wembanyama on the court, but it’s more important that they prioritize his health, as it will help the team in the long run. Rather than run the risk of him getting injured, shutting him down in spurts for now will be beneficial to the team down the line. That said, he undoubtedly wants to be out on the court with his teammates helping them win.

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Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama provides crucial new update on ankle injury

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama recently provided an important update on his ankle injury and the recovery process.

With how rough the season has been, Victor Wembanyama has been one of the only bright spots for the San Antonio Spurs. Obviously, they have a fun young core, but with losses piling up, Spurs fans can take solace in the fact that they have a guy in Wembanyama who should be the face of the franchise for years to come.

Unfortunately, due to an unlucky pregame injury in Dallas, Wembanyama has been on a minutes restriction for a few weeks, forcing him to stay on the bench at times when he may disagree with the decision. His long-term health is the priority.

That said, ahead of the Spurs’ recent loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Wembanyama provided a crucial update regarding his recovery process.

“My whole body is going to be re-examined every couple of weeks or so,” Wembanyama said via Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “It is something we keep in front of our eyes. We can’t get mistaken on this.”

Wembanyama has been “frustrated” with the restriction, according to head coach Gregg Popovich. The rookie even checked himself into a recent game when he wasn’t supposed to (but was promptly brought back out by Popovich and the coaching staff).

It’s clear that the Spurs rookie wants to be on the court as much as possible, but from the perspective of the organization, prioritizing Wembanyama’s health in the long run is more important.

Luckily, based on Wembanyama’s latest update, it seems as though both he and the team are taking the injury very seriously.

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Gregg Popovich provides injury update on Victor Wembanyama’s ankle

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich recently gave an injury update on Victor Wembanyama.

On December 23, the San Antonio Spurs were set to take on the Dallas Mavericks, but disaster struck in warm-ups. Victor Wembanyama was warming up when he stepped on the foot of a Mavericks employee, turning his ankle. The rookie was ruled out for the game and has been dealing with the fallout from the injury ever since.

Wembanyama was put on a minutes restriction that keeps him from playing more than roughly 24-25 minutes per game. He’s tried to work around the restriction by checking himself into a game, and the Spurs have saved his minutes for the final moments of a close game, but the point is, he hasn’t been able to play as many minutes as he may like.

Head coach Gregg Popovich recently provided an injury update on Wembanyama, revealing when he’ll be re-examined.

“It’s within the next week or two, I believe,” Popovich said via Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “But I don’t know the exact date.”

Wembanyama has expressed his frustration with the minutes restriction, a feeling that Popovich has detailed, too.

“Definitely he is frustrated with the minutes’ restriction, but he’s also intelligent enough to understand long-term is what we are interested in,” Popovich said.

With how poorly the Spurs have played this season, they would undoubtedly like to get him back sooner rather than later, but his long-term health continues to be the priority.

San Antonio wants Wembanyama to lead them into the future, so giving him some rest to fix a bum ankle is the least of their worries.

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Gregg Popovich discusses injuries to Spurs’ Zach Collins, Malaki Branham

San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich recently discussed the injuries to Zach Collins and Malaki Branham.

The San Antonio Spurs have dealt with a ton of struggles this season, and most of them have been due to the team’s youth. Victor Wembanyama is leading the way, but he just turned 20 years old (today, January 4). Even guys like Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, the team’s other stars, are only 23 and 24 years old, respectively.

However, while many of the Spurs’ problems are self-inflicted wounds, they’ve also dealt with their fair share of injury problems this season. Right now, Zach Collins is set to miss 2-3 weeks, and Malaki Branham is listed as day-to-day. Both guys are dealing with ankle issues.

Head coach Gregg Popovich discussed the absence of those two guys, what it means for the Spurs, and how it affects the two players.

“We miss Malaki and we miss Zach, but everybody’s got somebody that’s out, so that’s not a big deal,” Popovich said via Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “But for us it is because they’re such a young team and they need all their bodies. But I’m pleased with their effort. They just have to keep the attitude up.”

Collins is having a great season thus far playing alongside Wembanyama in the Spurs’ frontcourt. He’s averaging 12.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 49.5% from the floor and 31.2% from behind the three-point line.

Meanwhile, Branham is averaging 8.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 43.7% from the field and 31.8% from beyond the three-point arc.

The Spurs would love to get Collins and Branham back as soon as possible.

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