Wembanyama (ankle) was named the 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year on Monday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Wembanyama was the clear favorite for this year's Rookie of the Year honors, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.6 blocks in 29.7 minutes per appearance over 71 games during his first NBA campaign. It's also worth noting that the 7-foot-4 center is one of three finalists for the 2023-24 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, which speaks to the monumental impact he had on both ends of the court this season for the Spurs.
Spurs' Zach Collins: Will undergo shoulder surgery
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The Spurs announced Thursday that Collins suffered a torn labrum in the regular-season finale against the Pistons on April 14 and will undergo surgery in the offseason, Nick Moyle of The San Antonio Express News reports.
Collins will undergo shoulder surgery in the coming days, and even though a specific date has not been determined yet, the Spurs expect the veteran big man to fully recover for the start of the 2024-25 season. He averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.8 blocks per game across 69 appearances this year, which included a career-high 29 starts.
Spurs' Blake Wesley: Career-best numbers in finale
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Wesley closed Sunday's 123-95 win over Detroit with 17 points (7-9 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 2-3 FT), six rebounds, five assists and three steals across 30 minutes.
The 17 points were a career high for the second-year guard, while the boards and steals tied his previous highs. Wesley is still struggling to establish himself in the Spurs' backcourt rotation after being the 25th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, but he at least heads into the offseason with a bit of confidence.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Just misses double-double Sunday
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Collins chipped in 17 points (6-11 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and one steal over 16 minutes during Sunday's 123-95 win over the Pistons.
The veteran center played through a minor thumb injury and missed recording his fourth double-double of the season. Collins provided some valuable experience in the frontcourt behind Victor Wembanyama (ankle), but it's not clear if the Spurs are interested in bringing him back next season in the same role or will look to move his contract this summer.
Spurs' Sandro Mamukelashvili: Hits for team-high 18 in win
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Mamukelashvili posted 18 points (7-13 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds and one assist over 26 minutes during Sunday's 123-95 win over Detroit.
The Spurs deployed a balanced attack with Victor Wembanyama (ankle) sitting out the season finale, and while Mamukelashvili's 18 points led the club, all five San Antonio starters and eight players in total scored in double digits. Mamukelashvili started four straight games to close out the campaign and averaged 12.5 points, 11.8 boards, 2.3 assists and 1.8 threes, and the 2021 second-round pick will compete for a bench role next season.
Johnson (foot) said Sunday that he anticipates needing "about another week" before being able to consistently participate in basketball workouts, Jeff Garcia of KENS 5 San Antonio reports.
Johnson will sit out Sunday's game against the Pistons with a left foot sprain, marking his fourth consecutive absence to close out his 2023-24 campaign. After averaging a career-high 22.0 points in 2022-23, Johnson's average dropped down to 15.7 per game while he lost out on a handful of minutes as he shifted into a full-time bench role in mid-December. Though he provided a scoring lift to the second unit, Johnson didn't show much growth as a floor spacer in his fifth NBA season, hitting 34.6 percent of 5.3 three-point attempts per game.
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Spurs' Zach Collins: Active and starting Sunday
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Collins (thumb) is in the starting lineup for Sunday's regular-season finale versus Detroit.
Collins will play despite dealing with a left thumb contusion, with Sunday representing his 69th appearance of the season -- a continuation of a career-high for the 26-year-old. He is joined by Sandro Mamukelashvili and Julian Champagnie in the starting frontcourt Sunday.
