1. The Defensive Participant of the 12 months Award is aggressive once more
Wembanyama was the runaway frontrunner for Defensive Participant of the 12 months, blocking a league-leading 3.8 photographs per sport. That is the best block common in 25 years since Alonzo Mourning in 1998-99. Beforehand, a dominant defender like Wembanyama may need gained the award anyway, however now NBA gamers should play 65 video games to qualify for awards.
Meaning Jaren Jackson, Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies, or Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers might steal the award. Talking of steals, Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks and his three steals per sport might take it — and even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whose Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder have the league’s finest protection.
2. The Spurs’ playoff push is finished
San Antonio already had a troublesome street to the playoffs. At the moment ranked twelfth within the Western Convention, they had been three and a half video games out of the play-in match and outscored by 1.4 factors per sport.
The Spurs’ 18th-ranked protection will probably battle with no authentic defensive heart. As a substitute, the rest of this season will probably be about getting rookie guard Stephon Castle and deadline acquisition De’Aaron Fox accustomed to one another. The Spurs may also see how Jeremy Sochan holds up as a rim protector one season after he began the season as their level guard.
3. San Antonio will get one other likelihood on the lottery
With a powerful draft class this summer season prone to embrace Duke phenom Cooper Flagg, it isn’t the worst time for San Antonio to finish up within the lottery once more.
The Spurs have their decide, and the Atlanta Hawks’ first-rounder will probably be this June. The underside lottery groups have probably misplaced an excessive amount of, however the Spurs might conceivably end with the NBA’s sixth-worst document, giving them higher than a one-third likelihood at one other top-4 decide.
4. Wembanyama’s harm would require warning
The analysis of deep vein thrombosis signifies that Wembanyama has a clot deep in his shoulder (“thrombus” means blood clot). It is a season-ending ailment due to the danger the clot might come unfastened. San Antonio thinks the shoulder drawback is an “remoted situation,” however the group is understandably cautious, particularly as blood clots ended one Corridor of Famer’s profession.
