Victor Wembanyama (lower back soreness) will sit out Thursday’s game vs. the Bulls
The big man will join Tre Jones on the sidelines, at least for one game.
After getting Jeremy Sochan back, the Spurs got close to being at full strength. Just a day later, they are going back to having a major absence, at least for one game. Victor Wembanyama will sit out the matchup against the Bulls on Thursday due to bilateral lower back soreness.
Wembanyama, who already missed three games this season with a bruised right knee, likely hurt his back on a hard fall after Bradley Beal drew a charge on him on a drive. It’s not a certainty that the injury came from that situation, but it took him a while to get back up from it. The big man has a tendency to hit the deck often, which is not surprising for someone with such a high center of gravity, but normally he just walks it off. Whether it was indeed a fall that caused it or there’s some other root for the pain, it’s severe enough to keep him away from the court.
The Spurs are much better when their star center is on the floor, but have prevailed on two out of the three games Wemby missed this season, including a signature win against the Thunder. The Bulls, owners of a 9-13 record and a negative net rating, are far from a juggernaut. They will also have major absences of their own, as Coby White, Patrick Williams and Lonzo Ball have all been listed as out for Thursday’s game. There’s a good chance the Silver and Black pull off a win at home against an inferior opponent even without Wembanyama available. It’s unclear at this point whether the big man will also miss the second game of a back-to-back against the Kings on Friday.
Wembanyama won’t be the only rotation player missing. Tre Jones remains out with a shoulder sprain and there’s no timeline for his return.
The Spurs will host the Bulls on the Frost Bank Arean on Thursday, Dec. 5. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.
