Victor Wembanyama is continuing to gain momentum in the MVP race, even if Sam Amick of The Athletic says he would still vote for the Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander if the season ended today.
According to Amick, the San Antonio Spurs star could begin to take some of the top-two votes that have long seemed destined for Gilgeous-Alexander and the Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
One of Wembanyama’s strongest arguments comes from his on/off impact.
San Antonio owns a +16.0 net rating with him on the court and a 0.0 mark when he sits, creating a 16-point swing – larger than the 10-point gap tied to Gilgeous-Alexander’s presence in Oklahoma City.
While SGA is among the league’s top scorers, Wembanyama, the clear favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, has a bigger influence defensively.
Amick also notes that the standings could still play a role.
The Spurs are only 3.5 games behind the Thunder for the top seed in the West, and Wembanyama has spoken about aiming for 60 wins, while Oklahoma City may not feel as much pressure to push for positioning late in the season.
Wembanyama has played 3 seasons for the Spurs. He has averaged 23.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.5 blocks in 171 regular-season games.
He was selected to play in 1 All-Star game, and has won the Rookie of the Year award.
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