Spurs’ Gregg Popovich non-committal on Victor Wembanyama’s status vs. Nuggets

Spurs center Zach Collins went a step further than labeling the decision to sit Wemby as cautious.

“He loves basketball, he loves to compete. He’s a basketball player. Anytime you have a game and you’re kind of told to sit out you don’t have to, it can definitely get to you,” the third-year Spur said.

Before tip, Popovich’s tone also indicated that if Wednesday night had represented something bigger than the third to last game for a squad that was 20-59 the decision may have gone a different way.

“I feel badly because he’s not a happy camper right now with me. He wants to be out there but I’m looking at the long view. We’ve had some trouble with this particular injury during the season and as everybody knows we’ve had to limit minutes for quite a while and had to keep him out of back-to-backs. And down the stretch of the season here the last back-to-back it just doesn’t make sense to me to push it. Because if something does happen, I’d have to look in the mirror and say, ‘What the hell were you thinking?,'” the winningest coach in NBA history said.

Collins also spoke to Wembanyama’s annoyance with being held out. It was the last meeting of the season with the only other player who’s won Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors this season.

“I know how competitive he is.  You could tell he wasn’t too happy. I’m sure if we won, he’d be a little bit happier, but he’ll be fine. He’s 19, man. He’s got a lot more games coming.”

Actually 20 years old, the French phenom has won the last three Rookie of the Month awards after Holmgren won in November and December.

“I’ve got to think long term like we did with Timmy [Duncan] in this sense. Fortunately, for me, he’s smart enough to understand that even though he doesn’t like it. And that’s where we are,” Popovich said.

Wemby’s ankle issues this season

The rout to the Thunder represented the tenth game Wembanyama has not played in this season. All but one came as a result of his ankles. Since being held out of a December 19 loss at the Milwaukee Bucks and a game at the Dallas Mavericks four days later because he stepped on a ball boy’s foot during pregame warmups, the Spurs leading scorer has been on some type of restriction.

Whether in the form of minutes limitations or sitting on the second ends of back-to-backs, the Spurs’ leading scorer hasn’t been given a full green light. It’s a reality that’s continued into April.

For how much longer in this final full week of the season is the question.