The San Antonio Spurs are expected to be without Victor Wembanyama for at least Game 3, if not longer. Head coach Mitch Johnson revealed the plan moving forward.
The San Antonio Spurs lost Victor Wembanyama in Game 2 of their first-round matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. The superstar fell victim to a "pull the chair" move by Jrue Holiday, hitting his chin on the hardwood. He was ruled out for the rest of the contest with concussion-like symptoms and is not expected to suit up for Game 3.
Without Wemby down the stretch, the Spurs faltered, blowing a 13-point lead and dropping their first loss of the series. In the regular season, the Spurs went 2-1 against the Trail Blazers, all without Wembanyama.
With him out, adjustments are required, and Mitch Johnson hinted at what fans can expect for the next one or two games.
Spurs to Play Small Ball Without Wemby
Luke Kornet has been spectacular on both ends so far in this series, but he's the only other center on the roster who has played big minutes this season.
The Spurs could turn to Mason Plumlee, Kelly Olynyk, or Bismack Biyombo, all of whom are proven veterans, but against Donovan Clingan or Robert Williams, expect the Spurs to get unconventional.
In stretches throughout the regular season, the Spurs have deployed Keldon Johnson as a small-ball center. In Game 2, the Spurs thrust rookie Carter Bryant into a similar role. In Game 2, Bryant finished with seven points and was one of the most effective defenders against Deni Avdija.
The Spurs want to see more of that.
"We definitely have gone to it," said Mitch Johnson about playing Bryant down low. "And I think we'll have to kind of sit down as a staff and really think about the game holistically. And, you know, can we get through a game doing that, or do we need to play, you know, somebody else? And so that'll be the conversations we've had. But I do think those guys have, you know, throughout the year and even tonight showed some good moments doing that."
Fans should expect Kornet to play asd many minutes as reasonably possible, especially if the team expects Wembanyama to miss only one game. However, if Kornet is the starter moving forward, giving him a break by going small is not off the table, even against Portland's towering big men.