Fans of the San Antonio Spurs are holding their collective breath, hoping to get a positive update on star PF/C Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama suffered a concussion after taking a hard fall in Game 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, April 21.
On the play, Wembanyama appeared to be driving toward the basket before G Jrue Holiday allowed the big man’s momentum to force him off balance, and his head hit the court fairly hard.
Below, we'll break down the latest Victor Wembanyama injury update, when Wembanyama could return, and who to target on PrizePicks if Wembanyama misses time.
Make your NBA Playoff picks on PrizePicks — including ones on Trail Blazers vs. Spurs and other playoff games.
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Victor Wembanyama Injury Update: When Will Wemby Return?
Wembanyama was immediately ruled out for Tuesday’s contest once he went to the locker room, and the newly announced NBA Defensive Player of the Year has been officially placed in concussion protocol.
Currently, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson iterated that Wemby isn’t getting evaluated for anything but a concussion. Under the NBA’s concussion protocol guidelines, a player cannot return for at least 48 hours for full participation, but they can return for gradual activity within 24 hours — assuming the symptoms don’t worsen.
With Game 3 between the Spurs and Trail Blazers taking place on Friday, April 24, Wembanyama’s status is certainly in doubt. While the 48-hour minimum would put Wemby in line to return before Game 3, previous concussions endured in past postseasons could make a Game 4 return the best-case scenario.
Plus, given that Wemby appeared to be knocked out momentarily from the scary crash to the floor, it could lengthen his absence. However, there isn’t much information to go off to determine a definitive timeline for Wembanyama’s return, but we can attempt to use previous instances to come up with an educated answer until more updates are given.
How Does Wembanyama’s Injury Impact Trail Blazers vs. Spurs Series Predictions?
Here are the payouts on PrizePicks Team Picks for each outcome in the Trail Blazers vs. Spurs playoff series amid the uncertainty of Wemby’s status.
Spurs win 4-1: Yes 2.85x | No 1.26x
Spurs win 4-2: Yes 3.12x | No 1.29x
Spurs win 4-3: Yes 3.7x | No 1.19x
Trail Blazers win 4-1: Yes 14.28x | No 1.01x
Trail Blazers win 4-2: Yes 7.14x | No 1.04x
Trail Blazers win 4-3: Yes 9.09x | No 1.03x
Additionally, the Spurs still have the third-lowest payout (6.25x) to win the NBA Finals right now, via PrizePicks Teams.
Wembanyama’s absence was certainly felt in Game 2 after he exited the contest, as the Trail Blazers evened the series 1-1. On the other hand, San Antonio defeated Portland in all three regular-season meetings, and Wemby was inactive for all of those matchups.
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
What Players to Target on PrizePicks if Wembanyama Is Out?
In Game 1 of the playoff series between the Spurs and Trail Blazers, Wembanyama exploded for a game-high 35 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks. On the season, Wemby averaged 25.0 PPG, 11.5 RPG, and 3.1 BPG, so replacing him is easier said than done.
If Wemby doesn’t suffer any setbacks and operates ahead of schedule, pick More or Less on Victor Wembanyama’s 25.5 points projection for Friday’s Game 3 on PrizePicks.
Here are the Spurs players who may benefit most on PrizePicks if Wemby is out — and their stat projections for Friday’s Game 3.
- Stephon Castle — 18.5 Points / 31.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts / 14.5 FG Attempted
- De’Aaron Fox — 28.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts / 15.5 FG Attempted / 2.5 Turnovers
- Dylan Harper — 10.5 Points / 16.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts / 8.5 FG Attempted
If Wembanyama is forced to miss any time, the Spurs could rely even more on their guards. Of the bunch, G Stephon Castle sees a sizable bump in most categories when Wemby isn’t on the floor.
According to databallr, Castle experiences an increase of +7.8% to his usage rate, +3.8 points, +1.1 rebounds, and +1.6 turnovers per 75 possessions sans Wembanyama this season.
With C Luke Kornet potentially joining the starting five, Castle carries a 30.3% usage rate (+8.1%) and De’Aaron Fox holds a 28.8% usage rate (+6.8%) per 75 possessions when Kornet is on the floor.
Pick More or Less Spurs player stats on PrizePicks now before Friday’s tip.
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With uncertainty surrounding a specific return date, an inactive Victor Wembanyama could drastically alter the outcome of the NBA playoff series between the Spurs and Trail Blazers.
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