Wembanyama DNP — W vs New Orleans Pelicans

The Alien Index Take

The Spurs managed to squeeze out a 135-132 win over New Orleans without their franchise cornerstone, but this victory actually highlighted just how much the team revolves around Wemby’s gravitational pull. San Antonio had to rely on a balanced scoring attack and some late-game heroics to get past a middling Pelicans squad – the kind of game that typically gets decided by Wembanyama’s rim protection and clutch shot-making in the final minutes.

From a card market perspective, Wemby’s absence due to the left calf strain creates the familiar dip-and-hold pattern we’ve seen during his previous injury stretches. Prices on his rookies and parallels tend to soften slightly when he’s sidelined, not from panic selling but from reduced buying momentum as casual collectors shift focus elsewhere. The smart money knows these calf strains are typically minor for a player his age, so expect any price softening to be temporary. When he returns – likely within a week or two – the market will snap back harder than his shot-blocking.