NBA: Victor Wembanyama rising ahead of latest Spurs-Thunder tilt

Victor Wembanyama is back in the San Antonio Spurs’ starting lineup as the team faces Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road Tuesday in a matchup between two of the top teams—and players—in the Western Conference.

Wembanyama returned to the starting lineup in Sunday’s 104-103 loss at Minnesota, marking his first start since December 31. He scored 29 points in 27 minutes.

The 2023-24 Rookie of the Year had come off the bench following a calf strain in December. He made three starts at the end of the month before missing two games with a hyperextended knee.

“It’s a constant conversation,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said regarding whether Wembanyama should start. “…He wants to start, he wants to finish, he wants to play 48 minutes, and we’ve somehow got to figure out how to keep him happy while still playing organically and helping the team do what’s right.”

San Antonio has already handed the Thunder three of Oklahoma City’s seven losses this season—all within a 13-day stretch in December. Since then, the Spurs have gone 4-5.

Part of San Antonio’s struggles recently have come from the offensive struggles of young guards Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. During this nine-game span, Castle and Harper have combined to shoot just 33.2% from the field and 17.5% from three-point range.

“Part of it is they’re missing some good shots,” Johnson said. “Part of it is they just have to learn the balance of what this game asks when you have the basketball a lot—whether that’s being aggressive, understanding time and score, making on-time, on-target passes, or getting the ball out of your hands early. There’s some stuff they just have to go through. It’s no different from when they were flying high and filling the box scores. That’s part of being 21 and 19 in this league.”

Oklahoma City has rebounded since the Spurs’ loss on Christmas Day, going 7-2. However, the Thunder have struggled from beyond the arc recently, shooting just 25% from three in their last four games.

In their three losses to San Antonio, Oklahoma City shot just 28.8% from three, including going 11 of 44 in the 117-102 loss on December 25.

“It’s a mental test,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “You go through stretches where you’re getting good shots that aren’t falling, or your opponents are shooting better than expected. We try to see it as a challenge we have to overcome. It’s a test of trust in each other and conviction in what we’re doing.”

The Thunder enter Tuesday’s matchup on a three-game winning streak, most recently beating Miami 124-112 at home Sunday.

—Field Level Media/Reuters