Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama Argues MVP Case

As Weiss writes, Wembanyama highlighted the impact he has on the defensive end of the court, contending that his case hinges on the fact that he’s such an outlier in terms of defensive value, especially compared to his primary competitors for MVP. The Spurs big man suggested that’s one of three primary arguments in his favor relative to current betting favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder.

“My first (argument) would be that defense is 50 percent of the game and that is undervalued, so far, in the MVP race,” Wembanyama said. “I believe I’m the most impactful player defensively in the league. Second argument would be that we almost swept OKC in the season and we dominated them three times with their real team and four times with the, you know, more rotation players. My third argument would be that offense impact is not just points.”

Wembanyama expanded on that last point by focusing on the defensive attention he commands in the pick-and-roll, adding that he has seen data showing that he ranks right alongside Nuggets center Nikola Jokic as the most effective roll man in the NBA. However, he acknowledged that voters need to weigh defensive impact more heavily in order for him to have a legitimate chance at MVP honors.

“It’s going to happen (over) time,” Wembanyama told Weiss. “If there were more players like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) in the past years, maybe defense would have been more recognized. I don’t know.”

Wembanyama is averaging 24.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.0 blocks in just 29.3 minutes per game over the course of 56 appearances this season, with a .504/.356/.818 shooting line. Those offensive numbers pale in comparison to Gilgeous-Alexander’s 31.6 PPG, 6.6 APG, and .553/.390/.888 shooting.

Still, Wembanyama’s on/off numbers reflect his value, particularly on defense. The Spurs have registered a +16.6 net rating and 103.5 defensive rating when he’s on the court, compared to a -0.1 net rating and 113.7 defensive rating when he’s not. According to Weiss, he has spoken to some voters who’ve said that they’d vote for Wembanyama if the Spurs (54-18) pass the Thunder (57-15) for the NBA’s best record.

Following his conversation with Weiss, Wembanyama told reporters in his post-game media session that he’s determined to solidify his MVP case by finishing the season strong.

“I think right now, there is a debate,” he said. “There should be, even though I think I should lead the race. And I’ll try to make sure that by the end of the season, there’s no debate.”