Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Out vs. Zion Williamson, Pelicans with Hip Injury

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama will miss Friday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to right hip tightness.

This is the second half of a back-to-back for the Spurs, whose losing streak stretched to 13 games with Thursday's 137-135 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. They have the NBA's second-worst record at 3-15.

The No. 1 overall pick is living up to the hype so far by averaging 19.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and an NBA-leading 2.7 blocks. He's fresh off recording a double-double (21 points and 12 rebounds) in 29 minutes against Atlanta.

This will be the first game Wembanyama has missed.

Many wondered what the 19-year-old's workload would look like in his first season. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich pioneered load management, so it stood to reason he'd be cautious with the new franchise cornerstone.

Not to mention, the odds of Wembanyama holding up through the rigors of a full 82-game season were slim between his age and 7'4", 210-pound frame. If anything, it's somewhat surprising he made it this long without either picking up a slight knock or getting rested proactively.

After Friday, the Spurs have a few days off before they're next back in action. They head to Minneapolis to play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 6. That layoff will presumably allow for Wembanyama to return to the lineup ahead of that clash.