The San Antonio Spurs have been surprisingly competitive behind De’Aaron Fox, but every fan is looking forward to Victor Wembanyama’s return. The superstar center is currently sidelined with a left calf strain, an injury suffered during a mid-November matchup against the Golden State Warriors.

The nature of the injury was revealed upon an MRI after the original injury, and unfortunately, the big man hasn’t been able to return yet. At the time, he was given a three-week timeline for his return, which would place his game back around this week. The center missed tonight’s NBA Cup quarterfinals matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.

According to one report, he joined the team in New Orleans after not traveling to start the road trip and was a full participant in a team practice on Sunday. He also did a workout after the team’s morning shootaround and warmed up before their game against the Pelicans.

Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson added that the team’s NBA Cup game would not have any added importance on Wembanyama’s return.

Injuries have been a significant issue for Wembanyama early in his career. He played 71 games in his rookie year, with minor setbacks, but just 46 games in his second year, suffering a case of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, requiring him to sit out the rest of the season as he was treated with blood thinners.

Despite just playing 12 games this year, Wembanyama is near the top of the league in blocks, coming in second to Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff in total swatted shots, and averaged 3.6 per game while scoring a career-high 26.2 points per game.

The San Antonio Spurs Issue Statement on Victor Wembanyama’s Return

During the matchup against the Lakers in the NBA Cup, the Spurs stated Wembanyama’s status, with NBA on Prime reporter Cassidy Hubbarth relaying the message on the broadcast during the third quarter.

“He did five-on-fives following shootaround and then went through a full pregame workout tonight,” she told commentators Stan Van Gundy and Ian Eagle. “The Spurs—he’s very close… It’s strictly about how he responds, and the next step is simply getting it more reps and seeing how that calf responds, guys.”

After shootaround, Johnson explained that he started five-on-five work after beginning with two-on-two this past weekend in New Orleans. The Spurs have good reason to be this cautious, especially considering the margin of error with calf injuries and how they can progress to Achilles issues if returning prematurely.

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Sports Medicine Doctor Explains Victor Wembanyama’s Injury and Treatment

However, one doctor recently provided some insight into Wembanyama’s status. Dr. Marco Lopez from the California-based consultancy The Basketball Doctors recently appeared in a video on their YouTube channel, sharing his perspective on the injury.

“The calf is composed of two main muscles… and they both insert into the Achilles tendon. That Achilles tendon is responsible for you lifting your heel off the ground… When it comes to basketball, we’re always jumping off the ball of our foot, running off the ball of our foot, stopping, and pushing off.”

The most important part to note here is that if the calf isn’t given enough time to heal, the Achilles tendon takes the toll. Dr. Lopez points to the example of Tyrese Haliburton in last year’s NBA Finals. The Indiana Pacers point guard admitted to playing through a calf strain during the team’s last few games and, unfortunately, ruptured his Achilles in Game 7 of the Finals.

He also pointed to Luka Doncic last year as an example of how long such an injury could potentially sideline Wembanyama. Doncic dealt with a calf strain suffered on Christmas Day 2024, being sidelined for over a month before returning in February.