Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images The Wembanyama-less Spurs look to bounce back in Sacramento After a tough loss to the Houston Rockets on the road, bad news struck the San Antonio Spurs once again. It was announced on Wednesday night that Victor Wembanyama would miss Thursday night’s matchup with the Sacramento Kings. Wembanyama suffered a right ankle injury in the third quarter against the Rockets. It’s unclear how much time he will miss going forward. San Antonio will face a tough opponent in the Kings, who are on the second game of a back-to-back. Sacramento is an offensive powerhouse in the top ten for points scored per game. In their last matchup, the Spurs were defeated 127-122, despite 32 points from Devin Vassell. They’ll need another big performance from Vassell if they want to grab a tough victory on the road. San Antonio Spurs (13-49) vs. Sacramento Kings (34-26) March 7, 2024 | 9 PM CT Watch: Bally | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM) Spurs Injuries: Charles Bassey – Out (left knee,) Sidy Cissoko – Out (G League,) David Duke Jr. – Out (G League,) Jamaree Bouyea – Out (G League,) RaiQuan Gray – Out (G League,) Victor Wembanyama – Out (right ankle) Kings Injuries: Do not need to report until 1 p.m. CT What to watch for The offense without Wembanyama The Spurs will be without their star big man for just the seventh time this season. The games without him have left the Spurs with a void in their offense. Wembanyama is their go-to guy, leading the team in usage rate. Without him, they’ll need a struggling offensive team to step up. The scoring load will likely fall on Vassell, Tre Jones and Jeremy Sochan. Zach Collins will likely step into the starting lineup with Wembanyama out, giving the Spurs another big to operate as an offensive hub in the high post on dribble hand-offs and screen and rolls. Another player to look out for is Malaki Branham, who has been torching the nets since the trade deadline. Since the all-star break, Branham is averaging 13.1 points and shooting 46.7% from three. If he can continue to pack a punch off the bench, the Spurs may be able to make up for some of Wembanyama’s scoring in the aggregate. Defending the paint In the Spurs’ last game against the Kings, Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox had a field day with San Antonio’s defense. Sabonis had a triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Fox led the team in scoring with 29 points and 9 assists. Both of them dominated the Spurs in the paint. With no Wembanyama, protecting the rim becomes even tougher for San Antonio. Collins is an average paint defender who’s good positionally and can bang with other big-bodied players on the interior. Dominick Barlow will play spot minutes as the backup center. Barlow is a versatile defender who has shot-blocking capabilities. Still, neither of these options will be as potent in defending the rim as Wembanyama. The Spurs can help out their bigs with some tough perimeter defense. Handling and dishing physicality Spurs head coach, Gregg Popovich, was disappointed in how his team handled the physical defense of the Houston Rockets in their last game. The Spurs turned the ball over 19 times, allowing the Rockets to score 28 points off giveaways. They never quite responded to Houston’s physicality, and their offensive flow was disrupted. The Kings are a similarly physical team, with guys like Sabonis and Fox bringing force on both ends. This is a great opportunity for the young Spurs to respond, and take the physicality to Sacramento. Consistent defensive energy and poise under pressure with the ball in their hands will be keys to getting a tough win on the road. Source: https://www.poundingtherock.com/2024/3/ ... ma-vassell