Victor Wembanyama continues to reshape expectations around the San Antonio Spurs, powering the franchise through a remarkable turnaround during the 2025 to 2026 NBA season.
Once viewed as a team in the middle of a rebuild, San Antonio has surged into the upper tier of the Western Conference with a 54-18 record. Much of that rise has been fueled by Wembanyama’s rapid growth in just his third year in the league.
The 22 year old center is producing numbers that have placed him firmly in the MVP conversation. He is averaging 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game while anchoring both ends of the floor.
Wembanyama delivered another standout performance during San Antonio’s latest win, finishing with 26 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks in a decisive victory over the Miami Heat.
After the game, Wembanyama addressed the MVP discussion when asked about his candidacy by The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. The Spurs star pointed directly to his defensive influence as a key factor.
“My first one 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. The 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 also suggested that the league may eventually place greater emphasis on defensive dominance when evaluating MVP candidates.
“It’s going to happen (over) time,” Wembanyama said. “If there were more players like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) in the past years, maybe defense would have been more recognized. I don’t know.”
Despite the buzz surrounding Wembanyama’s breakout season, betting markets still lean heavily toward Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous Alexander as the likely MVP winner. Current sportsbook odds place him far ahead of the field, while Luka Dončić and Wembanyama remain behind in the race as the season heads toward its final stretch.