Spurs' Gregg Popovich Shares Victor Wembanyama Injury Insight

"And maybe he (Wembanyama) could have played, probably could have played, if it had been a playoff game, I probably would have played him," San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

The San Antonio Spurs are going into Christmas on a four-game losing streak, headlined by Saturday's 25-point defeat at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks.

A big reason behind Saturday's loss came before the game, where Victor Wembanyama tweaked his ankle in warmups, resulting in the No. 1 overall pick being a late scratch for the contest.

Gregg Popovich discussed his insight into the decision after the game.

"And maybe he (Wembanyama) could have played, probably could have played, if it had been a playoff game, I probably would have played him," Popovich said. "He’s not happy about it, but I would rather err on the conservative side since it is the same ankle. It is just a freak accident before the game.”

The Spurs have no reason to risk further injury, and given the fact that it probably wouldn't have changed the outcome, San Antonio did what it is right for its team.

At 4-24, San Antonio's goals are not aligned with this season's record. Rather, the team has to figure out which players best align with the Wembanyama rebuild. In order to do that, the team needs him healthy for as many games as possible.

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While Saturday may have been a missed opportunity to get some information about the team playing alongside Wembanyama, it's a small sacrifice for what could have been a longer absence had he played.

Wembanyama hopes to be back for the Spurs' next game on Tuesday against the Utah Jazz. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.