The Spurs plan to give Victor Wembanyama more minutes towards the end of the season
Gregg Popovich mentioned that the star rookie will probably get more playing time after the All-Star break.
Before the game against the Mavericks on Wednesday, Gregg Popovich said something very interesting that didn’t get a lot of attention. The Spurs plan to give Victor Wembanyama more minutes towards the end of the season:
“I think he’s still at 27 or 28 (minutes) or something like that. It’s amazing the numbers he’s getting for that few minutes. But we’ve decided that that’s the best way to bring him along right now. But I think toward the end of the season we’ll raise it a little bit.”
The fact that Pop is openly talking about it means it will probably happen and the decision makes a lot of sense. Wembanyama has been averaging 28.4 minutes a game, which ranks fourth among rookies and doesn’t reflect how much the Spurs could use him, but helped to avoid overburdening him. San Antonio is over five points per 100 possessions better with Wemby on the court, the second-highest mark behind only Tre Jones. Wembanyama’s backup, Zach Collins, has struggled individually, which has had an impact on the team level, so maximizing the time the rookie is on the floor now that the coaching staff feels can handle more minutes should make a big positive difference.
The move could also heavily help Wembanyama’s Rookie of the Year chances. Right now it’s a two-horse race between Victor and Chet Holgrem despite Wembanyama having the edge on points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game. The Thunder’s stellar record is what’s propping up Holgrem’s case for the award while Victor has to rely on posting overwhelmingly superior numbers. It’s always tricky to extrapolate stats, but with how productive Wembanyama has been on a per-minute basis, he could have some truly eye-popping averages if he plays more. Even matching the number of minutes Holgrem plays could sway some voters.
Some people will argue that Wembanyama should have been playing heavier minutes all along, but Pop’s comments about it make sense and the timing of the adjustment is logical. Wemby seems to have smashed through the rookie wall and will have time to rest before returning to action despite participating in All-Star weekend. There are also just 27 games left, so the rookie has already played most of his first year in the league and has adapted, which makes any time he misses with a minor injury less damaging. Giving him some extra playing time and eventually shutting him down if needed is also a possibility, since the Spurs don’t have much to play for at this point.
What remains to be seen is how much more Wemby will play. It seems highly unlikely he’ll get 35+ minutes, judging by how Gregg Popovich has historically operated, but even if he gets into the low 30, he should have the opportunity to get his numbers up while helping the team. No matter how big the uptick in playing time is, fans will be happy to have more Wemby time to enjoy.
