Wemby: concussion + DPOY
- Victor Wembanyama exited early with a concussion during his playoff game but was still announced as the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year. - He left the contest with a head injury after limited action, and the DPOY honor was confirmed this week. - The combination of the injury and the award creates immediate series uncertainty about his availability for upcoming games (x.com).
Victor Wembanyama left San Antonio’s Game 2 playoff loss with a concussion two days after the NBA named him the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) The Spurs said Wembanyama entered the league’s concussion protocol after his jaw hit the floor with 8:57 left in the second quarter Tuesday night against Portland. He finished with five points, four rebounds, one block and one assist in 12 minutes before San Antonio lost 106-103. (nba.com) Coach Mitch Johnson said after the game, “He has a concussion. He’s in the protocol,” and Game 3 is scheduled for Friday in Portland. Under NBA rules cited by the Associated Press, players in the protocol must have at least 48 hours of inactivity and recovery, then clear neurological testing and a final medical review before returning. (nbcnews.com) (nba.com) The timing lands in the middle of San Antonio’s first-round series with the Trail Blazers, now tied 1-1 after Portland’s comeback in Game 2. Mitch Johnson did not predict whether Wembanyama could play Friday, saying only, “The protocol is the protocol.” (nba.com) The award announcement came Monday, April 20, when the NBA said Wembanyama received all 100 first-place votes from a global media panel. The 22-year-old became both the youngest winner in award history and the first unanimous winner since the honor began in 1982-83. (nba.com) (apnews.com) Wembanyama beat finalists Chet Holmgren of the Thunder and Ausar Thompson of the Pistons after a season in which he again led the league in blocks. The NBA said he averaged 3.1 blocks and 1.0 steals while anchoring a Spurs team that finished with the league’s second-best record. (sports.yahoo.com) (apnews.com) The trophy also closes a two-year arc. Wembanyama finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting as a rookie in 2023-24, then missed eligibility last season after a blood clot ended his year at 46 games. (apnews.com) (sports.yahoo.com) San Antonio went 12-6 in the regular season without him, and Devin Vassell said after Game 2 that “everybody’s going to have to step up.” That is the immediate test now: the Spurs have the league’s top new defender on paper, but no clear answer yet on when he will be back on the floor. (nba.com)
