With just a handful of games left in the NBA regular season, the San Antonio Spurs sit at second place in the Western Conference with a 60-19 record. While the final three games aren’t huge for the Spurs, they will be a major factor in Victor Wembanyama‘s consideration for the MVP award.
He left Monday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers early with a rib contusion. At 63 games played, he must play at least 20 minutes in two of the last three outings to qualify for individual awards.
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Whether or not he can pull that off doesn’t change the fact that there are three reasons he’s the league’s most valuable player.
1. His Dominance
Wembanyama may not have the bulky frame of historically dominant bigs like Shaquille O’Neal or Dwight Howard, but he dominates the game in a different way.
His combination of length, skill and athleticism allow him to dictate what transpires on both ends of the floor.
On offense, he’s made great leaps in his dribbling, footwork and shot creation. He’s averaging a career-high 24.8 points per game while playing a career low 29.2 minutes per night. At 51% from the field, Wembanyama is putting up points at an efficient rate.
While other candidates have similar production on offense, none of them come close to the impact that Wembanyama makes on the defensive end.
He’s averaging a league-leading 3.1 blocks per game while anchoring the Spurs as one of the best defenses in the league. His rim protection is so elite, opposing teams will actually avoid taking shots in the paint due to his presence. This top tier paint defense paired with his agility on the perimeter is a combination unlike any we’ve ever seen.
2. The Spurs’ Meteoric Rise
One of the biggest factors in every MVP race is the team success of each candidate. This season, the Spurs check off that box and then some.
Thanks to Wembanyama’s excellence and the reliable play from his teammates, the Spurs are currently top five in both offensive and defensive rating.
Just last season, the Spurs missed the playoffs with a record of 34-48. San Antonio won just 22 games in each of the two season prior.
Now, they look like one of the only teams in the league that can truly compete with the OKC Thunder for a title this season. This is partially due to Wembanyama’s development and impact this season.
3. His Matchup Advantage
When asked to state his MVP case, Wembanyama made note of the Spurs advantage over the Thunder.
“We almost swept OKC in the season and we dominated them three times with their real team and four times with more rotation players.”
The Spurs won four of the five matchups against the Thunder this season, strengthening Wembanyama’s MVP case with several wins against another top MVP candidate.
Boasting a clear advantage against both the top MVP candidate and the league’s best team is a major point in Wembanyama’s MVP argument.
As the season winds down, his MVP chances will come down to his availability in the final three games. If he manages to play, he may just have the strongest argument to strip the trophy from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s hands.
James Parker contributed to this story.
