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ESPN Senior Writer- Tim Bontemps is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com who covers the league and what's impacting it on and off the court, including trade deadline intel, expansion and his MVP Straw Polls. You can find Tim alongside Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.
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ESPN Senior Writer- ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010
- Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years
- Author of two books
Although the NBA returned to action after the All-Star break with one game Wednesday and a nearly full slate of action Thursday, the league's focus was elsewhere after the stunning news that San Antonio Spurs star big man Victor Wembanyama will miss the rest of the season due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.
The announcement sent shock waves through the league, given Wembanyama's status as he followed a brilliant Rookie of the Year season with an even better sophomore campaign. He appeared in his first All-Star Game over the weekend and was the leading contender for Defensive Player of the Year honors, a shoo-in to make an All-NBA team and, potentially, garnering some Most Valuable Player consideration.
All of that, though, moves to the background as the focus shifts to his immediate and long-term health. So, with the association back in action, we'll look at the leaguewide reaction to the Wembanyama news, plus examine several lessons from the pre-All-Star-break portion of the schedule in our weekly trip around the NBA.
Jump to a section:
What's next for Wembanyama, Spurs?
Why aprons couldn't stop megadeals
... And why so many got done now
More lessons from season's first half
