Wembanyama misses 1st career game

San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama was not in the lineup for Friday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to right hip tightness, the team announced Friday.

The No. 1 pick had appeared in all of the Spurs' previous contests, averaging 19.3 points, 9.7 boards, 2.6 assists, and a league-leading 2.7 blocks.

The Spurs' next tilt isn't until next Wednesday, giving Wembanyama nearly a week to rest.

Wembanyama sits atop the rookie leaderboard in scoring, rebounds, free-throw attempts, and total steals. The Spurs have been significantly better defensively with the Frenchman on the floor, allowing 6.7 fewer points per 100 possessions.

Wembanyama registered a career-high eight blocks against the Memphis Grizzlies in November, joining the legendary David Robinson as the only Spurs players to accomplish the feat in their rookie year.

San Antonio enters Friday's slate of games ranked last in the West and riding a 13-game losing streak.