Official Wemby Apology Thread

[spursistan]

We half-jokingly called him “soft” and “Sneezy”. Turns out, the man was singlehandedly keeping this team semi-competitive and remotely watchable all while his entire mechanism was getting throttled by a DVT.


Wemby is so talented that he was still providing Top 10-player impact with a blood clot hamstringing every sinews of his undeveloped 21-year-old body.


Without him, this is legitimately a bottom 5 team in the league EVEN WITH the Fox addition and factoring in the Coaching Tax.


Wemby is the Franchise, the Anchor, the single source of relevance.


Biggest gut-punch since the Scumbag Saga. The only solace, Wemby is still ours. Get well soon Champ :cry

[BatManu20]

Tbh.

https://media4.giphy.com/media/K55exy0toWjQc/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b9520e377pti14dfyltsb99if04hmxga 32dl423onkyr&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g

[baseline bum]

Nah Wemby was playing more like top 25 this month. Was up around top 5 until then though.

[spursistan]

Nah Wemby was playing more like top 25 this month. Was up around top 5 until then though.
The scoring and efficiency were down but relevant (impact) advanced metrics were still having him as Top 10-12 player in the league, tbh.

[spurraider21]

according to mitch, the DVT symptoms only came about after the ASB. he said anything before that is a reach.

wemby was playing below his own standards for about a month before the ASB

but yeah, the advanced stats and on/off stuff always spoke volumes. it also hurts that our best backup center is a 10 day contract guy who was on the couch all season

[Mugen]

As the person who coined it, "Sneezey" should stick if he's stinking it up with allergies again next January tbh

It's simply too good :lol

[spursistan]

Obviously I feel more bad for Wemby than us fans. We mostly got our fill of success from this fandom experience. 90% of us on this board already witnessed 5-championships in our lifetime. It just hurts to see an ambitious and otherworldly talented young man's career already getting derailed like this.

I am highly confident Wemby will come back stronger and more determined next season. The onus is on this franchise to move faster and smarter to get him help. BY now they should be disabused of the notion that they have an open-ended title window with him.

[exstatic]

WE didn’t call him that, a few fools did, and were scorned for it.

[spursistan]

As the person who coined it, "Sneezey" should stick if he's stinking it up with allergies again next January tbh

It's simply too good :lol
Knowing what we know now, it is going to be hard to pull the ‘softie’ and ‘’sneezey’ card even in jest in the future :lol It was pretty obvious something more serious than seasonal allergy that was causing that lackadaisical play of his for a month a half. Then again it is testament to how much he can get by on talent alone with half his normal motor while still being the tide that lifts the whole boats on this team.

[scott]

A DVT didn't give him allergies or cause him to have low stamina, and wouldn't be connected to his shortness of breath (according to doctors) unless something way more serious was at play (which thankfully was not, according to reports).

One does not excuse the other. With that said, Wemby is a competitor and I expect him to come back better than ever next year.

[spurraider21]

As the person who coined it, "Sneezey" should stick if he's stinking it up with allergies again next January tbh

It's simply too good :lol
Thromby doesnt have the same ring to it

[spurraider21]

A DVT didn't give him allergies or cause him to have low stamina, and wouldn't be connected to his shortness of breath (according to doctors) unless something way more serious was at play (which thankfully was not, according to reports).

One does not excuse the other. With that said, Wemby is a competitor and I expect him to come back better than ever next year.
yeah, plus if the clot started in his shoulder, he would have started feeling discomfort in his shoulder before it had a chance to get to his lungs and cause breating issues. instead we heard that it was post ASB he said his shoulder didnt feel right and they immediately caught it

hes had conditioning issues going back to his rookie year as well. he did seem particularly lethargic for the last month or so of his season, but that doesnt mean it was from this issue.

[spursistan]

yeah, plus if the clot started in his shoulder, he would have started feeling discomfort in his shoulder before it had a chance to get to his lungs and cause breating issues. instead we heard that it was post ASB he said his shoulder didnt feel right and they immediately caught it

hes had conditioning issues going back to his rookie year as well. he did seem particularly lethargic for the last month or so of his season, but that doesnt mean it was from this issue.
Gotta give credit to the medical staff. We might look back at them getting to the bottom of it as fast they did as one of the most consequential moments in Spurs history. By all accounts timing in DVT diagnosis is crucial for professional athlete and their career prospects.

[Ice009]

If it was in part from GG Jackson falling hard on his shoulder in that game against Memphis, could the blood clot have developed later (explaining why it happened around the all-star break)?

Also, was it ever addressed why he was having breathing issues if it's not related? Has any one of the Doctors that has discussed the blood clots guessed about it? I remember hearing Doctors and that say the breathing issues aren't related, so I wonder if anyone said what might be the cause of those. He was playing like a top 5 player up until then, and then starting dropping off once he was looking fatigued and started having the breathing issues. I still assume it was from the pollen that SA and former SA residents mentioned. I also assume they're ruled out anything more serious from those issues if they're not related to the blood clots.

[spurraider21]

If it was in part from GG Jackson falling hard on his shoulder in that game against Memphis, could the blood clot have developed later (explaining why it happened around the all-star break)?

Also, was it ever addressed why he was having breathing issues if it's not related? Has any one of the Doctors that has discussed the blood clots guessed about it? I remember hearing Doctors and that say the breathing issues aren't related, so I wonder if anyone said what might be the cause of those. He was playing like a top 5 player up until then, and then starting dropping off once he was looking fatigued and started having the breathing issues. I still assume it was from the pollen that SA and former SA residents mentioned. I also assume they're ruled out anything more serious from those issues if they're not related to the blood clots.
have we actually observed "breathing issues" or is he just having stamina issues?

[KobesAchilles]

Dude was averaging 25 12 and 4 blocks and idiots here were calling him soft. Or getting after him for shooting so many threes when we have no actual volume 3 point shooter on the team. Dude is literally our best at every part of the game except assists

[John B]

Wemby single-handedly made watching the Spurs play competitive. Now it’s just unbearable, it’s comical!

[RC_Drunkford]

I never called him any of this, it was always stupid to criticize him carrying these bums to begin with.

[drpill]

The guy literally hasn't had a meaningful break from basketball since 2022, prior to the start of his final season with Mets 92. He went straight to summer league, into his rookie year, then the Olympics, then his sophomore year. Is it any surprise that he might finally have hit a wall, especially while dealing with severe allergies?

[Mugen]

Dude was averaging 25 12 and 4 blocks and idiots here were calling him soft. Or getting after him for shooting so many threes when we have no actual volume 3 point shooter on the team. Dude is literally our best at every part of the game except assists

There's a difference between putting up good numbers / being the best player on the team (a low bar :lol) and him playing to his potential tbh.

I've characterized his play as "soft" because it objectively has been at times. Like I don't think the coaching staff has him purposefully settling for a bunch of 3s. I think Wemby prefers to shoot them over banging in the paint. I understand the logic behind it considering his frame hasn't filled out yet but, frankly, I don't have a problem if somebody called that approach "soft."

Where I will definitely retract my criticisms of him is on the defensive end. It's really clear that this coaching staff has piss poor defensive schemes and the other players on the squad are just legit terrible defenders. He's the greatest defensive prospect of all time but even that can't counter the absolute bums he has to carry on that end.

My expectations of him are unreasonably high. He's 21. It's possible that his crappy play in the new year has been related to the clot, in which case all criticism are invalidated. I get all that.

But he's had conditioning issues in the past. He's settled for 30 footers. He's been careless with the ball. I think those are all valid criticisms that he should be called out on especially with how he's presented himself as someone who thinks of himself as having GOAT potential.

[Joseph Kony]

have we actually observed "breathing issues" or is he just having stamina issues?

that was my thought. Never looked like he was having trouble breathing. just looked like he was overly fatigued

[KobesAchilles]

There's a difference between putting up good numbers / being the best player on the team (a low bar :lol) and him playing to his potential tbh.

I've characterized his play as "soft" because it objectively has been at times. Like I don't think the coaching staff has him purposefully settling for a bunch of 3s. I think Wemby prefers to shoot them over banging in the paint. I understand the logic behind it considering his frame hasn't filled out yet but, frankly, I don't have a problem if somebody called that approach "soft."

Where I will definitely retract my criticisms of him is on the defensive end. It's really clear that this coaching staff has piss poor defensive schemes and the other players on the squad are just legit terrible defenders. He's the greatest defensive prospect of all time but even that can't counter the absolute bums he has to carry on that end.

My expectations of him are unreasonably high. He's 21. It's possible that his crappy play in the new year has been related to the clot, in which case all criticism are invalidated. I get all that.

But he's had conditioning issues in the past. He's settled for 30 footers. He's been careless with the ball. I think those are all valid criticisms that he should be called out on especially with how he's presented himself as someone who thinks of himself as having GOAT potential.
Sorry but you can’t average 4 blocks and be soft. It just isn’t possible. Also just bc he likes to shoot jumpers doesn’t make him soft. That’s an asinine thing to say. He finishes strong when he is in position to do so. And he has a a ridiculously good shooting percentage when finishing 3 ft in.

Soft isn’t shooting threes. That’s just people thinking old school basketball you need to have your back to the basket mentality. Now I do agree about the conditioning. But again he is going hard covering for everybody on both offense and defense. That’s why Fox was such a huge pick up. It gives him a bit of a break on offense.

[Dex]

WE didn’t call him that, a few fools did, and were scorned for it.

Bingo.

[ambchang]

A DVT didn't give him allergies or cause him to have low stamina, and wouldn't be connected to his shortness of breath (according to doctors) unless something way more serious was at play (which thankfully was not, according to reports).

One does not excuse the other. With that said, Wemby is a competitor and I expect him to come back better than ever next year.

Dr google said it actually does lead to shortness of breath. I’m not a doctor like 95% or this board are, but I’d think a blood clot would lead to poor circulation this shortness of breath.

I’m not sure if DVT causes people to take bad shots with 17 on the shot clock though.

[Ice009]

have we actually observed "breathing issues" or is he just having stamina issues?

It looked like he was having shortness of breath during games, but I don't recall him being like that the first couple of months of the season. Maybe they were partly conditioning issues and allergy issues mixed together?

[Tyronn Lue]

Obviously difference between Victor on the floor and Victor off the floor - rest of the team feels it's ok to lose now.

[vander]

looking like PATFO missed on every single draft pick leading up to Wemby.
pray for the #1 pick else they just going to screw it up again

[poopbox]

according to mitch, the DVT symptoms only came about after the ASB. he said anything before that is a reach.

wemby was playing below his own standards for about a month before the ASB

but yeah, the advanced stats and on/off stuff always spoke volumes. it also hurts that our best backup center is a 10 day contract guy who was on the couch all season

Symptoms of a blood clot when it's almost impossible to determine when a blood clot originally formed :lol

[Atl Spur]

Dr google said it actually does lead to shortness of breath. I’m not a doctor like 95% or this board are, but I’d think a blood clot would lead to poor circulation this shortness of breath.

I’m not sure if DVT causes people to take bad shots with 17 on the shot clock though.

I had a PE and it affects your breathing; rbcs carry oxygen and iron though out the body ( clots impede blood flow ). It’s really nothing to joke around about, them things will kill you out of the blue!

[ambchang]

I had a PE and it affects your breathing; rbcs carry oxygen and iron though out the body ( clots impede blood flow ). It’s really nothing to joke around about, them things will kill you out of the blue!

Apologies if I appear to take this lightly, but I have some good faith I the spurs medical staff and the moral compass of the spurs FO still. I trust they won’t mess around with a young man’s life, even though that young man being healthy is worth $500m in valuation to them.

If the spurs FO said it’s an issue they can manage and is a one time thing, I’d trust it. They’ve earned that trust with how they managed duncan, ginobili, DJM and ironically kawhi over the years, resting them even though it will cost the franchise important games and even series.

[Brazil]

It looked like he was having shortness of breath during games, but I don't recall him being like that the first couple of months of the season. Maybe they were partly conditioning issues and allergy issues mixed together?

There are a couple of things to consider here:

1. Stamina is a concern since the beginning I don't believe it is a question of conditioning but adaptation to the NBA, size, young age, lack of maturity to know how to pace himself and playing hard on both end of the floor
2. Victor is subject to allergy, polen in Texas seems to be no joke and on interviews during specific period of time, Victor seemed to have regularly flu/cold like symptoms.
3. Blood clot can trigger symptom like shortness of breath... we have no idea when this clot appeared it can be after AS break but it could be also before with pain only appearing recently. It has been clear tho that since january Victor stuggled more than usual with his shooting, with running the floor and extensive minutes

All in all it is likely that all those factors came together.

On the bright side now, knowing Spurs medical staff, their statement about the fact they are confident Victor will play next year is reassuring, I prefer that at a nore random no timetable yet, we will monitor evolution so that should solve point 3. Regarding point 1 it is just a matter of time for point 2 I don't know if you "get used to" and get better at dealing with that over time or it is something that will bother him forever

[LeBowen]

There are a couple of things to consider here:

1. Stamina is a concern since the beginning I don't believe it is a question of conditioning but adaptation to the NBA, size, young age, lack of maturity to know how to pace himself and playing hard on both end of the floor
2. Victor is subject to allergy, polen in Texas seems to be no joke and on interviews during specific period of time, Victor seemed to have regularly flu/cold like symptoms.
3. Blood clot can trigger symptom like shortness of breath... we have no idea when this clot appeared it can be after AS break but it could be also before with pain only appearing recently. It has been clear tho that since january Victor stuggled more than usual with his shooting, with running the floor and extensive minutes

All in all it is likely that all those factors came together.

On the bright side now, knowing Spurs medical staff, their statement about the fact they are confident Victor will play next year is reassuring, I prefer that at a nore random no timetable yet, we will monitor evolution so that should solve point 3. Regarding point 1 it is just a matter of time for point 2 I don't know if you "get used to" and get better at dealing with that over time or it is something that will bother him forever

Don't forget that the workload Wemby was expected to have in almost every game, which became even more obvious after since he's been shut down.

No other player in the league is expected to do so much on both ends of the floor. Spurs are complete garbage without him, one of the worst teams in the league.
He's by far the best defender in the league with minimal help on that end. Pushed around and bullied on every rebound because noone else on the team can be bothered to box out.
Every bump takes a lot of energy. And then he's expected to go on the other end and play in the post? No chance, regardless of the blood clot issue.

[Ice009]

Don't forget that the workload Wemby was expected to have in almost every game, which became even more obvious after since he's been shut down.

No other player in the league is expected to do so much on both ends of the floor. Spurs are complete garbage without him, one of the worst teams in the league.
He's by far the best defender in the league with minimal help on that end. Pushed around and bullied on every rebound because noone else on the team can be bothered to box out.
Every bump takes a lot of energy. And then he's expected to go on the other end and play in the post? No chance, regardless of the blood clot issue.

Like Pauleta was saying (when we discussed it in an older thread earlier in the season) about the amount of energy he has to expend on defense, it may not leave him with a lot on offense, but he was pushing through the first couple of months and doing it all. Victor's workload for this team is huge and I'm not sure anyone else in the NBA carries as much just to be able to make his team competent. I can't believe people started a thread about laziness. Crazy stuff.

[spursistan]

Losing to the imploding, JV league, travelling hospital Mavericks team at home..:lmao

Just shows how many/much asses and holes Wemby was covering (for). (coaches and players alike)

[TheBallsbreakers]

Damn can't wait for our wunderkind to be back.

[poopbox]

Wemby should get MVP votes cause the spurs are the worst team in the league and it aint close. If we played the wizards 10 times we would lose 8 of them

[MannyIsGod]

A DVT didn't give him allergies or cause him to have low stamina, and wouldn't be connected to his shortness of breath (according to doctors) unless something way more serious was at play (which thankfully was not, according to reports).

One does not excuse the other. With that said, Wemby is a competitor and I expect him to come back better than ever next year.

Anyone who thinks Wemby needed anything excused is delusional though. I don't need to blame anything on DVT because there's nothing to blame. People upset a 21 year old kid isn't a consistent top 10 player in his second season are absolutely ridiculous. I'm not saying that's you, but lets be clear that there is NOTHING about Wemby's play that needs to be excused and until he has semblance of a team around him and a coaching staff isn't hell bent on ruining the edge he gives us defensively then no one should even be contemplating blaming Wemby for shit.

I'm all for accountability but this isn't that. This is nothing short of ridiculousness and if seeing what this team is without him doesn't hammer that home for people then there's no hope. (spoiler: There's definitely no hope for many of you)

Where my "Castle is the best player on the team" morons at?

[MannyIsGod]

There's a difference between putting up good numbers / being the best player on the team (a low bar :lol) and him playing to his potential tbh.

I've characterized his play as "soft" because it objectively has been at times. Like I don't think the coaching staff has him purposefully settling for a bunch of 3s. I think Wemby prefers to shoot them over banging in the paint. I understand the logic behind it considering his frame hasn't filled out yet but, frankly, I don't have a problem if somebody called that approach "soft."

Where I will definitely retract my criticisms of him is on the defensive end. It's really clear that this coaching staff has piss poor defensive schemes and the other players on the squad are just legit terrible defenders. He's the greatest defensive prospect of all time but even that can't counter the absolute bums he has to carry on that end.

My expectations of him are unreasonably high. He's 21. It's possible that his crappy play in the new year has been related to the clot, in which case all criticism are invalidated. I get all that.

But he's had conditioning issues in the past. He's settled for 30 footers. He's been careless with the ball. I think those are all valid criticisms that he should be called out on especially with how he's presented himself as someone who thinks of himself as having GOAT potential.

The fact that you have to "retract" criticism of Wemby on the defensive end should just be carte blanche reason to never listen to a fucking word you ever say. Full stop it's such a moronic thing to beleive that Wemby was ever deserving of any criticism on that end of the floor but honestly Mugen, this is just par for the course for you. Frame this shit and put it int he Spurstalk Louvre next to Ducks and Mr. Body in the idiot hall of fame.

Perfection.

[MannyIsGod]

There are a couple of things to consider here:

1. Stamina is a concern since the beginning I don't believe it is a question of conditioning but adaptation to the NBA, size, young age, lack of maturity to know how to pace himself and playing hard on both end of the floor
2. Victor is subject to allergy, polen in Texas seems to be no joke and on interviews during specific period of time, Victor seemed to have regularly flu/cold like symptoms.
3. Blood clot can trigger symptom like shortness of breath... we have no idea when this clot appeared it can be after AS break but it could be also before with pain only appearing recently. It has been clear tho that since january Victor stuggled more than usual with his shooting, with running the floor and extensive minutes

All in all it is likely that all those factors came together.

On the bright side now, knowing Spurs medical staff, their statement about the fact they are confident Victor will play next year is reassuring, I prefer that at a nore random no timetable yet, we will monitor evolution so that should solve point 3. Regarding point 1 it is just a matter of time for point 2 I don't know if you "get used to" and get better at dealing with that over time or it is something that will bother him forever

Agree fully with 1. It should also be pointed out that he's 7'5" and attempting to play like a much smaller wing and that is going to bring out physical limitations to the forefront. How many of you remember Shawn Bradley or Muresan galloping around the court and not getting immediately tired? I sure as hell don't. Yao Ming only played in the low 30s MPG for his career despite playing during a much slower era of the game. There's never been a sniff of anything related to Wemby being someone who is lacking putting in the work off the court so it is really just insane that people default to him being lazy and soft when all the indications and reports are the exact opposite. And why? All becaue the 7'5" unicorn gets tired faster than a players who are not 7'5"!!!!

The stamina stuff is also related to the fact that he's a 7'5" dude trying to play like a 6'5" dude and that human bodies actually have serious limitations. There's multiple reasons why weve never seen a player like Wemby before but this is definitely one. How many of

[MannyIsGod]

Don't forget that the workload Wemby was expected to have in almost every game, which became even more obvious after since he's been shut down.

No other player in the league is expected to do so much on both ends of the floor. Spurs are complete garbage without him, one of the worst teams in the league.
He's by far the best defender in the league with minimal help on that end. Pushed around and bullied on every rebound because noone else on the team can be bothered to box out.
Every bump takes a lot of energy. And then he's expected to go on the other end and play in the post? No chance, regardless of the blood clot issue.

PREACH.

[Ice009]

Sad thread that hardly anyone came into after talking a lot of shit about him in that laziness thread.

[Brazil]

Agree fully with 1. It should also be pointed out that he's 7'5" and attempting to play like a much smaller wing and that is going to bring out physical limitations to the forefront. How many of you remember Shawn Bradley or Muresan galloping around the court and not getting immediately tired? I sure as hell don't. Yao Ming only played in the low 30s MPG for his career despite playing during a much slower era of the game. There's never been a sniff of anything related to Wemby being someone who is lacking putting in the work off the court so it is really just insane that people default to him being lazy and soft when all the indications and reports are the exact opposite. And why? All becaue the 7'5" unicorn gets tired faster than a players who are not 7'5"!!!!

The stamina stuff is also related to the fact that he's a 7'5" dude trying to play like a 6'5" dude and that human bodies actually have serious limitations. There's multiple reasons why weve never seen a player like Wemby before but this is definitely one. How many of

also all long distance runners are below average height (marathon record holder is 5'7), short distance runners are usually taller (100 m record holder is 6'5). On burst Victor is more explosive covering larger distance but in the long run 40 mn playing time is affecting stamina when running the floor on both end. At the end those threads about laziness are simply put stupid. Victor is a lot of things but lazy and soft are not in the list.

[Mugen]

The fact that you have to "retract" criticism of Wemby on the defensive end should just be carte blanche reason to never listen to a fucking word you ever say. Full stop it's such a moronic thing to beleive that Wemby was ever deserving of any criticism on that end of the floor but honestly Mugen, this is just par for the course for you. Frame this shit and put it int he Spurstalk Louvre next to Ducks and Mr. Body in the idiot hall of fame.

Perfection.

:lol You good, bro? You've always been a crybaby but now I'm worried about you.