The team looks good, and fans should be very excited. San Antonio came out of the Utah game smelling like roses after a slow start. The Spurs rolled out a starting lineup of Chris Paul, Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, and Zach Collins. Victor Wembanyama sat out of the third preseason game, but Coach Pop made sure to calm the nerves of the fan base.
Pop said Wemby is “fine” and that he thinks he will play in both of the final preseason games (at Miami and at Houston).
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) October 12, 2024
This is exactly what should be happening right now. It’s not the best for the fans who paid to go to the game in hopes of seeing Wemby suit up, but everyone has to understand the dynamics at play here. Players with Wembanyama’s size don’t have a great history of health.
If there is anything they can do to mitigate the wear and tear on his body, they have to do it. Doing otherwise would be a dereliction of duty.
Wembanyama’s last year was intense and rest is needed
A coach’s job involves many different responsibilities. One of them is the management of your players’ health. If this were the regular season, it would be different, but that’s not the case. The games don’t count yet, so there’s no reason to push Wemby’s body to the limit when he has already been doing that.
His determination to be great pushes him to work harder than the average player his age, and with his body type, that can be worrisome. Pop has the burden of trying to get the most out of Victor while also taking great care so as not to over-exert the kid, leaving him vulnerable to preventable injuries.
If he didn’t do it, every Spurs fan in the world would blame Pop if anything happened to the 7’4″ Frenchman. His methods are directly responsible for extending the careers of several legendary players we’ll cherish forever. Who knows if Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili would have been able to give the sort of effort necessary to win in 2014 if he hadn’t rested them when he did?
Regardless of whether you agree with his methods, it’s good news to hear the Alien is healthy. Fans will get a chance to see him in the final two preseason games, barring any last-minute decision from the coaching staff, and the season will be here before you know it. We’re now less than two weeks from the opening tip, and there will be plenty of time to marvel at the franchise’s coveted superstar.
