Victor Wembanyama to be on Minutes Restriction vs. Sixers

After a short weekend road trip, the Philadelphia 76ers will be back in action on their home floor Monday night. Next up on the schedule is a meeting with the San Antonio Spurs.

This will be the first time the Sixers face off against rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama. However, it does not seem like they'll be getting the full experience. The Spurs big man is expected to be on a minutes restriction as he continues to deal with an ankle injury.

Pop the minutes restriction on Wemby might be lifted soon.

"Not by next game (at Philadelphia on Monday night), but perhaps after that," he said.
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) January 21, 2024

Over the past few weeks, the Spurs have been keeping Wembanyama's minutes to around 25 a game. They've done this out of precaution after he rolled his ankle during warmups against the Dallas Mavericks.

Despite playing limited minutes, Wembanyama is still among the most productive rookies this season. Heading into Monday, his averages sit at 19.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 2.9 APG. The French big man is also leading the league in blocks at 3.2 a game.

Heading into this matchup, many want to see how Wembanyama fares against a force like Joel Embiid. While he has the length to defend him, his smaller frame could lead to trouble guarding the reigning MVP. These two will likely match up with one another at points, but it could end up being a small sample size due to this minutes restriction.

As for Embiid, he continues to be one of the league's most dominant forces. In the second leg of a back-to-back Saturday, he notched 33 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a win over the Charlotte Hornets.

For those looking to tune in to the Sixers taking on Wembanyama and the Spurs, tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.