Following a brutal start to the season, the San Antonio Spurs have picked up the pace as of late. They still aren’t winning a ton of games, but most of the contests they’re playing in are tightly contested, which is a serious mark of improvement for this young Spurs squad.
Leading the charge is rookie Victor Wembanyama, who has been extremely impressive both on and off the court. On the court, he’s churning out highlight after highlight, and off of it, he’s reportedly been very open to coaching, constantly looking to improve. But at the same time, he’s been dealing with some injury issues.
Wembanyama has been on a minutes restriction ever since a freak ankle injury on December 23, but on top of that, the toll of a long season is also taking its toll on the 20-year-old rookie.
“I’m glad my body’s healthy, even though it’s hard,” Wembanyama said via Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “It’s not giving me any red flags. Of course, I like everything, the conditioning to be perfect, but you got to pick your battle.”
The most games he’s ever played in a single season was 44, and now, he’s set to go for 82 games (minus whatever time he misses). He’s already appeared in 44 games this season, meaning everything from here on out is more than he’s used to.
In addition to the exterior physical effects, Wembanyama is also feeling it internally.
“My immune system is also impacted,” Wembanyama said.
Regardless of the potential wear and tear, though, Wembanyama has been playing extremely well this season in San Antonio.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]