San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama has suddenly become one of the central figures in the NBA’s MVP race as the regular season enters its final stretch.
The Spurs have won 23 of their last 25 games, sit second in the Western Conference with a 55-18 record through Wednesday's slate of games, and only trail the champion Oklahoma City Thunder by two games in the standings.
Wembanyama, meanwhile, is averaging 24.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and three assists per game. The Spurs' center did not avoid MVP questions after beating the Miami Heat on Monday.
When asked about the MVP race and whether or not he deserves the award, Wembanyama laid out a three-part case for why he should lead the race, pointing to defense, San Antonio’s success against the Thunder and his offensive impact beyond scoring.
Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
That argument drew a strong reaction from Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green after the Dubs' win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
“I hated it, and I absolutely loved it,” Green said. “And the reason I hated it is because until Wemby said ‘Defense is 50 percent of the game,’ it was like, oh man, no one realized that. Like no one realized that 50 percent of the game we play is on that end of the floor. So he comes out and makes this profound (expletive) statement and it’s like, ‘Oh, of course it is.’ And everybody’s like, ‘Oh man, he has a great point.’ Hello! You think?”
Green said his frustration was not with Wembanyama’s argument itself, but with the fact that the defense-laden point seemed to get wider attention only after the Spurs star said it publicly.
Green believes it should not take a superstar player reminding people that defense matters before it becomes a real part of the MVP discussion.
“So I hated it because he had to do that for that to then be said,” Green said. “All of a sudden you turn on the TV and everybody’s like ‘Actually, Wemby is the MVP!’ And I can agree with that. Maybe he is. But the fact that he has to come out and remind people, ‘Hey, ya’ll see what I do over there?’ It’s like an indictment on the game of basketball.”
Green still made clear he respected how Wembanyama handled the moment and why he chose to speak up.
“I want to give him so much credit for such a profound statement, but honestly, was it really that profound?” Green said. “But it’s so true. And yet it took for him to say that for everybody to say, ‘Oh man, he’s right about it.'”
Ultimately, Green praised Wembanaya for raising his voice and not shying away from bringing defense to the MVP conversation.
“I tip my cap to Wemby for being willing to sit up there on that platform and say this is why (I’m deserving),” Green said. “Not hide from the question. Not say, ‘oh man, they’ll figure it out’. No they won’t. I’m happy he’s smart enough to know, they won’t figure it out.”
