The San Antonio Spurs need answers fast without star center Victor Wembanyama due to a concussion.
Wembanyama suffered a concussion in Game 2 on Tuesday when the Spurs fell 106-103 to the Portland Trailblazers. Portland now has two wins against the Spurs this season when Wembanyama isn’t on the court for the whole game, which behooves San Antonio to find solutions.
San Antonio’s 7-foot-1 backup center Luke Kornet and 6-foot-6 forward Carter Bryant are now the two-most critical players in the series. Kornet can fill in Wembanyama’s spot, and Bryant can play as a center when the Spurs take a small ball approach with the NBA Defensive Player of the Year sidelined.
“We definitely have gone to it, and weâll kind of have to sit down as a staff and really think about the game holistically,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson told reporters after Game 2. “Can we get through a game doing that, or do we need to play somebody else?â So that will be the conversations weâll have.â
“But I do think those guys have â throughout the year and even tonight â showed some good moments doing that,” Johnson added.
Kornet scores 6.5 points per game, and he averages 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and a block per night. Bryant, a rookie from Arizona, averages 4.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
Spurs De’Aaron Fox Confident in ‘Next Man Up’
Amid the Blazers evening up the series, 1-1, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox isn’t panicking, as the series shifts from Texas to Oregon for Game 3 and Game 4.
San Antonio had a 12-6 record in the regular season when Wembanyama didn’t play. The Spurs lose 3.1 blocks and 9.5 defensive rebounds when Wembanyama is off the court, based on his regular season averages..
“Obviously, thatâs a big piece thatâs going to be missing, but weâve played games without him,” Spurs guard DeâAaron Fox told reporters after the loss.
“Weâve played games without a plethora of guys,â Fox added. “You say ânext man up mentalityâ but the entire team has to step up because he leaves a big hole in the lineup, both offensively and defensively.”
“And obviously we donât know how long heâs going to be out, but weâve got to be ready to play without him,” he concluded.
The Spurs and Blazers play again on Friday in Portland. They play again on Sunday for Game 4, and the series shifts back to San Antonio on April 28 for Game 5.
Spurs’ Keldon Johnson: ‘It’s The Playoffs’
The Spurs understand what’s at stake, losing homecourt advantage without Wembanyama.
If San Antonio doesn’t make proper adjustments, the Spurs could head back home for Game 5 with a 3-1 series deficit. As the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, a first-round exit would hinder the team’s development with Wembanyama, the Spurs’ No. 1 pick in 2023.
“Itâs the playoffs,” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson told reporters after the loss. “Even if we didnât play a lot without him, weâve got to figure it out. But we have, so we just stick to what we do, honestly.”
“We fall back on our habits,” Johnson added. “Weâll clean some things up, and we get ready for a good game in Portland.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Spurs Have 2 Options Without Victor Wembanyama appeared first on Heavy Sports.