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Victor Wembanyama missed the San Antonio Spurs' first preseason game against the OKC Thunder on Monday. Wembanyama was given extra rest since he suited up for France at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But is the reigning Rookie of the Year playing tonight versus the Orlando Magic?
According to Jeff McDonald of San Antonio-Express News, Wembanyama is set to make his preseason debut tonight against the Magic. He will be joined by Chris Paul, who the Spurs signed in free agency. Fans are set to get a glimpse of how Paul and Wemby could work together this season.
The Spurs have five players on their injury report – Nathan Mensah, David Duke Jr., Zach Collins, Charles Bassey and Devin Vassell. The first four players are considered day-to-day, while Vassell is out until Nov. 1 due to an offseason right foot surgery.
Chris Paul excited to play with Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama managed to win the Rookie of the Year and exceeded expectations with a proper point guard last season. The San Antonio Spurs experimented with Jeremy Sochan as a point forward, but it didn't work out. Tre Jones regained his spot, although he's not the best option considering Wemby's rise to stardom.
The Spurs immediately corrected their mistake this offseason by going after Chris Paul in free agency. Paul signed a one-year deal with San Antonio to serve as a mentor for Wembanyama while also possibly showing off what a proper point guard can do with the 7-foot-4 "alien."
In an interview with ESPN's Michael C. Wright, Paul expressed his excitement to finally playing with Wembanyama. The two had some runs in training, but fans would love to see them share the court on Wednesday night at the AT&T Center against the Orlando Magic.
"I'm just excited like everybody else to get a chance to play alongside (Wembanyama) along with a lot of the other guys on the team," Paul said. "With him, it's going to be (about) just trying to help him settle in more."
At the age of 39, Paul is the second-oldest player in the NBA this season behind LeBron James. He played for the Golden State Warriors last season, but it didn't pan out.
Victor Wembanyama's stats from the 2023-24 NBA season
There was a lot of hype surrounding Victor Wembanyama last season after the San Antonio Spurs drafted him first overall. Wembanyama exceeded expectations on his way to winning the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year award after averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.6 blocks in 71 games.
Wemby also came in second behind Rudy Gobert for the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year. While his defense didn't lead to a lot of wins, it was evident that the 20-year-old French big man is already one of the best defenders in the league due to his length.
