At 23-29, the Spurs occupy just the No. 12 seed in a crowded Western Conference. They are a scant 3.5 games behind the No. 10-seeded Golden State Warriors (28-27), but without their best player, they seem doomed now to miss the play-in tournament entirely and head straight for the lottery.

San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama has been ruled out for the season due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. His absence is a major blow for the Spurs and the NBA.

Victor Wembanyama is one of the faces of the NBA, the star of the San Antonio Spurs and already one of the biggest names in basketball. And his season is likely over, after the Spurs announced Thursday that he has been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.