Spurs Center Victor Wembanyama Cites Defense in Personal MVP Pitch
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San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama made a direct case for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award during a locker-room conversation Monday night with Jared Weiss of The Athletic. After teammate Keldon Johnson first championed the 20-year-old’s candidacy, Wembanyama stepped in, outlining three points he believes separate him from front-runner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Defense is 50 percent of the game and that is undervalued so far in the MVP race,” Wembanyama said, contending he is “the most impactful player defensively in the league.” He added that San Antonio “almost swept OKC” this season, winning three of four meetings against the Thunder’s regular rotation and another against a deeper lineup. His third argument stressed that offensive impact extends beyond raw scoring, noting the attention he draws as a pick-and-roll threat and data showing he ranks alongside Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić as one of the NBA’s most efficient roll men.
Through 56 games, the 7-foot-4 center is averaging 24.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 blocks in 29.3 minutes while shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 35.6 percent from three and 81.8 percent at the line. By comparison, Gilgeous-Alexander is posting 31.6 points and 6.6 assists on 55.3 percent shooting.
Advanced metrics highlight Wembanyama’s defensive influence. With him on the floor, the Spurs own a +16.6 net rating and a 103.5 defensive rating; those numbers drop to –0.1 and 113.7, respectively, when he sits. Weiss reported that several MVP voters indicated they would favor Wembanyama if San Antonio (54-18) overtakes Oklahoma City (57-15) for the league’s best record.
Speaking later in his post-game media session, Wembanyama acknowledged the race remains close. “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.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
