Should Spurs Be Concerned Over Victor Wembanyama Injury?

Wembanyama is projected to be the No. 1 pick in next year's draft.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 4, 2022

The San Antonio Spurs are due for a long year this upcoming season. After trading Dejounte Murray for three future first-round picks, the Spurs made it clear that they are angling for one of the 2023 NBA Draft's top selections.

The 2023 NBA Draft is expected to be one of the strongest draft classes in recent memory, headlined by French big man Victor Wembanyama.

Wembanyama's skillset is one that the NBA has yet to see ... a 7-4 big man with guard-like tendencies and the potential to continue growing at just 18 years old. However, with every top prospect comes risk. With Wembanyama, it's the injury bug.

The potential No. 1 pick in next year's draft suffered a muscle injury back in June that is holding him out for EuroBasket, which is set to take place in September. This means Wembanyama will be nursing an injury leading up into his final season before becoming an NBA professional.

There's also questions surrounding his longevity at the NBA level. In three seasons playing in the Euro Cup, Pro A League and EuroLeague, he's only suited up for 52 games. Granted, COVID played a role in that number not being as high as it could have been, but it doesn't help the fact that he hasn't played a ton of basketball.

An NBA season is 82 games, meaning there are chances that he hasn't played more than one full season of organized professional basketball before he comes to the States.

History has also shown that injuries derail many 7-footers careers. Yao Ming and Manute Bol come to mind as players slightly taller than 7-4 who failed to live up to expectations.

Like Wembanyama will likely be, Yao was a No. 1 overall pick whose career ended prematurely due to injuries. There's no guarantee Wembanyama will suffer the same fate, but maybe it should throw some caution into the wind for a Spurs team looking for a franchise-altering prospect in next year's draft.

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Published Aug 4, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.