Is Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama playing vs. Giannis and the Bucks? Injury reports, probable starters and more for tonight's game.
The Milwaukee Bucks put their four-game winning streak on the line Tuesday night vs. the San Antonio Spurs at Fiserv Forum. The Bucks (19-7) have also won 13 straight at home. The Spurs (4-21) are one of the worst teams in the NBA and have lost 19 of 20.
Is Giannis playing?
Yes. Antetokounmpo is currently on his longest consecutive games played streak since the 2019-20 season having played 14 straight games. He is not on the injury report.
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Is Victor Wembanyama playing?
No. The Spurs ruled the No. 1 pick out on Monday evening with right ankle soreness. He played 31 minutes against New Orleans on Sunday, scoring 17 points, pulling down 13 rebounds and blocking four shots. It is the first game he will miss since Dec. 1 and just the second all season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo on Victor Wembanyama: ‘Sky’s the limit’
Antetokounmpo didn’t come into the NBA from Greece as the most celebrated international prospect in basketball history. He didn’t arrive measured at the 7-feet he is now. He didn’t begin his career in Milwaukee with heavy expectations.
But he must be considered as one of the greatest player development stories in league history after starting his career at 18 years old, 6 feet, 9 inches tall and (generously) listed at 210 pounds and turning into a two-time league MVP that is one of the most athletic, dominant big men the sport has ever seen.
Antetokounmpo is 12th all-time in triple-doubles and became the true archetype for what the “point forward” position could be. He is unstoppable in transition, can initiate offense yet also can work the midrange while bending rims at will.
It’s through this lens that many view the potential of Wembanyama, the 7-4 French teenager headlining the rebuilding Spurs. The 19-year-old is a more polished professional than Antetokounmpo was coming out of Europe, and he was immediately handed the keys to the franchise upon being drafted.
Everything the Spurs do is centered around his development.
And naturally, Antetokounmpo’s opinion on the phenom has been sought.
But the Bucks star has demurred, saying on a couple of occasions that he does not watch basketball – or highlights – so he’s not sure what Wembanyama does or can do in the NBA. But, even he couldn’t escape the hype because he’s heard his teammates talk about the Frenchman.
Earlier in the year, a French reporter relayed to Antetokounmpo that the Spurs coaches likened their development plan to Antetokounmpo’s, that they wanted Wembanyama to be “uncomfortable” by playing different positions, to figure out things on his own on the court.
“I feel like in my career just being able to play multiple positions helped me,” Antetokounmpo admitted. “Coming into the league, starting as a, what was I, a four-man? Second year I was more of a shooting guard. Third year I was a point guard. Then just keep going. I don’t know what I am today. I just try to be a basketball player and try fit in wherever I can. But for sure, being uncomfortable will definitely help him.”
Antetokounmpo then revealed he did see Wembanyama play in person in Lyon, France – in the 2021-22 French LNB Pro A league season when his younger brother, Kostas, was Wembanyama’s teammate with Asvel Villeurbanne.
“He has a lot of talent,” Antetokounmpo said of the Spurs rookie. “I saw that he had a lot of potential. He can play any spot he choose to play. He’s a basketball player. He’s a mismatch wherever you put him on the floor. For him, he’s just got to be disciplined, stay healthy and – the most important thing – keep on enjoying the game. The sky’s the limit for him. He can become whatever he wants to become in this league. He has a lot of talent.”
Bucks injury report
Malik Beasley, probable (non-COVID illness)
Jae Crowder, out (left adductor surgery)
Bucks probable starting lineup
Guards: Damian Lillard, Malik Beasley
Forwards: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton
Center: Brook Lopez
Bucks schedule
After playing the Spurs, the Bucks host the Orlando Magic on Thursday to conclude their five-game homestand. They then head on the road for four games.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Is Victor Wembanyama playing vs. Giannis and the Bucks? Injury report
