Exclusive Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle Injury Reports Surface After Spurs Edge Past Kings

The San Antonio Spurs survived a double-injury scare this Sunday. Victor Wembanyama was sidelined, and Stephon Castle lost to a hip injury, but Mitch Johnson's team escaped with a 123-110 victory over Sacramento Kings.

While the win pushed San Antonio to 9-4, the Kings got their sixth consecutive defeat this season. But the aftermath has the Spurs anxiously awaiting updates on their two key players ahead of Tuesday’s matchup with Memphis.

Spurs playing it safe with their two young stars

Wemby was ruled out before tip-off with left calf tightness, marking the first time the 7-foot-4 phenom has missed action this season. Castle exited at halftime with a right hip problem. But he stayed on the bench rather than heading to the locker room, which was obviously a positive sign.

Head coach didn't waste time addressing the elephant in the room after the W. When asked about Wemby's absence, Johnson replied pretty straight.

He said, "I think it was just something that he felt. I don't think there was a specific play. Obviously, we've seen around this league recently, the calf-tightness thing is not something you want to take lightly. So, just got to get some more information. Don't want to push it there."

The Spurs came into Sunday’s game after two tough losses to Golden State Warriors’ physical squad that tested their depth. With Wembanyama playing heavy minutes in those games, the medical staff decided to sit him out to avoid a more serious injury.

The first-year coach doubled down on the precautionary approach when asked if the afternoon tip-off following a late start two nights prior played a role. 

He said, "Again,  calf tightness, there are certain things that you don't want it to be a gateway thing or anything like that. So, you just need to be clear on what's going on out of precaution here."

As for Castle, Johnson admitted he's also in the dark. "To be honest, I'm not sure. I believe it's his hip, but I don't know anything. I just was told that he wasn't coming back in the game… Maybe there was a play, but I'm not sure," Johnson said per Clutchpoint. 

The 21-year-old played 16 minutes before sitting out, finishing with four points and five assists. This marks the first game he’s missed all season. Not surprisingly, this setback will raise significant questions about the Spurs’ backcourt rotation in upcoming matches. 

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