No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama will not play in the San Antonio Spurs‘ season finale on Sunday against the Detroit Pistons, the team announced on Saturday.
Wembanyama will sit because of right ankle injury management, an ailment that will have cost him six of his 11 missed games this season. He also missed games officially because of hip tightness, a sprained left ankle and rest.
The 7-footer finishes the season averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals in 71 games. He registered the most 30-point games (11) by a rookie since Trae Young in the 2018-19 season and is the only rookie to record a triple-double (2) this season.
He wrapped up the year by producing 34 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal on Friday in an upset win over the Denver Nuggets. He scored 17 points alone in the third quarter as the Spurs overcame a 23-point deficit.
Victor Wembanyama catches fire as the Spurs overcome a 17-point deficit to defeat the Nuggets!
34 PTS | 12 REB | 5 AST | 2 BLK | 5 3PM pic.twitter.com/XmAYz32yK6
— NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2024
Wembanyama is the first rookie in history to record at least 1,500 points, 250 assists and 250 blocks in a season, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. He is also the 10th player to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
The Frenchman leads the league in blocks and is 19th in steals. He ranks third in defensive box plus-minus (plus-3.3), fifth in defensive win shares (4.4) and 10th in rebounds. He also has the most games with at least five blocks (24); the next highest player has nine (Brook Lopez).
He achieved numerous other accomplishments, including becoming the youngest player in history to register a 5×5 game and recording a triple-double with blocks. He also became the first rookie since Shaquille O’Neal in 1993 to record 40 points and 20 rebounds in a game.
Wembanyama is the front-runner to win Rookie of the Year, with most sportsbooks moving it off their boards. He has the potential to become just the sixth rookie in history to win the award unanimously and the first since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016.
Tabbed an “alien” by LeBron James because of his unique size and skill set, Wembanyama entered the season with tremendous expectations. He exceeded them in his first year with the Spurs and established himself as a franchise cornerstone for years to come.
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