1. The Defensive Participant of the Yr Award is aggressive once more
Wembanyama was the runaway frontrunner for Defensive Participant of the Yr, blocking a league-leading 3.8 photographs per recreation. That is the very best block common in 25 years since Alonzo Mourning in 1998-99. Beforehand, a dominant defender like Wembanyama might need gained the award anyway, however now NBA gamers must play 65 video games to qualify for awards.
Which means Jaren Jackson, Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies, or Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers may steal the award. Talking of steals, Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks and his three steals per recreation may take it — and even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whose Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder have the league’s finest protection.
2. The Spurs’ playoff push is completed
San Antonio already had a tricky street to the playoffs. At the moment ranked twelfth within the Western Convention, they have been three and a half video games out of the play-in match and outscored by 1.4 factors per recreation.
The Spurs’ 18th-ranked protection will possible wrestle and not using a official defensive middle. As an alternative, the rest of this season might be about getting rookie guard Stephon Castle and deadline acquisition De’Aaron Fox accustomed to one another. The Spurs can even 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 probability on the lottery
With a robust 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 might be this June. The underside lottery groups have possible misplaced an excessive amount of, however the Spurs may conceivably end with the NBA’s sixth-worst file, giving them higher than a one-third probability at one other top-4 decide.
4. Wembanyama’s damage would require warning
The analysis of deep vein thrombosis implies 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 may 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.
