With Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić in the midst of a dominant stretch, San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama decided to remind everybody that he — too — deserves strong MVP consideration.
Wembanyama turned in an excellent performance in a 127-113 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, scoring 41 points and pulling down 18 rebounds in the victory. It was Wembanyama’s second-straight 41-point game and fifth-straight game with at least 15 rebounds, something no Spurs player has accomplished since Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman.
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That performance drew massive praise from Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who said Wembanyama has taken his game to another level this season, per ESPN.
“He’s got unbelievable confidence now,” Kerr said. “He looks like he knows exactly what to do on both ends. His first couple years, he looked young at times. He doesn’t look young anymore. He just looks like he knows exactly what he’s doing. Dominated the glass. There’s plays you can’t do anything. Several lobs where it looked like a Nerf hoop. He’s brilliant.”
Wembanyama, who has openly campaigned for the MVP award, reiterated his desire to take home some hardware during an appearance on ESPN after the game.
“I do care deeply about it,” Wembanyama told ESPN. “I think that of the greats that are in the Hall of Fame — or the best of all time — they have fought and grabbed everything they could grab early on in their career. If I want to make my spot among the greats, I got to try to not miss any occasion to put my name up there.”
Actually winning the award could prove tough. Dončić has forced his way into the conversation following a phenomenal stretch, in which he’s averaged 39.8 points over his last 13 games. Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — the actual favorite for the award — has been nearly as good, averaging 31.5 points in his last 11 games.
Even with the two 41-point efforts, Wembanyama is averaging 27.5 points in his last 10 contests. That’s lower than either of the other two MVP candidates, though Wembanyama provides more value than either player as a rebounder and defender.
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Whether those all-around contributions lead to Wembanyama winning the MVP award remains to be seen. What is clear is that Wembanyama has clearly established himself as a star and face of the league this season.
If he doesn’t take home the MVP this season, it feels like a matter of time before the honor goes his way.
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