San Antonio still has a game to play first. The Spurs host Phoenix on Wednesday, and how many starters play there will help decide who is available 2 nights later. The preseason has been rough so far. San Antonio opened with a 123-116 loss to Atlanta, lost 102-98 to the Suns and then lost 119-109 to Utah on Monday, when Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell all got planned rest. The team called that routine maintenance, not an injury concern.
When Wembanyama has played this month, he has been running more of the offense. He had 13 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks in 22 minutes against Phoenix, though he went 0-for-5 from 3. That passing is the part worth watching against a Kings team with no healthy true center. De'Aaron Fox has missed time with an undisclosed issue, Tobias Harris is coming back slowly from a calf injury, and Jayden Quaintance has not been cleared for basketball activities, so the Spurs' depth is also thinner than it looks.
Tipoff is 7:00 PM CT. The final score won't tell you much. What's worth watching is how long Sacramento's regulars play in their last tune-up and how the Spurs split minutes after facing Phoenix. If both teams play their starters, a Kings team without a healthy center against Wembanyama is the best matchup of the night.