The San Antonio Spurs have won six games in a row after destroying the Miami Heat on Tuesday, 136–111. However, their hot streak is only a fraction of their amazing run. As expected, their dominant victory was led by no one else but Victor Wembanyama, who put on an all-around display of his MVP-caliber offense and uber-defensive form to prove yet again why he’s the NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner.
Wembanyama Gets MVP Chants Even on the Road
Even in unfamiliar territory, Victor Wembanyama still got MVP chants from the crowd—and rightfully so, as he delivered a fantastic outing marked with highlights too many to count.
The French star had an excellent all-around game after finishing with 26 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 blocks in just 26 minutes. He was unstoppable on both ends of the floor while also dominating the glass, as the Spurs embarrassingly outrebounded the Heat, 62–38. Wemby also made history after becoming only the third player to amass more than 4,000 points and 300+ three-pointers. He joined Luka Dončić and Trae Young in that elite company. Apart from that, Wemby also became the second player to ever record 4,000+ points and 600+ blocks through the first 175 games in the NBA. The first guy to do it was fellow Spurs legend David Robinson.
Despite officially clinching the playoffs, Wembanyama and the Spurs are still not taking their foot off the proverbial gas pedal. They’ve already surpassed expectations after getting more than 50 wins this season, but it sure looks like they’re going for more—perhaps a deep run in the playoffs or even a championship.
The MVP and DPoY Might Be Wembanyama
Although Wembanyama is still behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić, and Nikola Jokić in most MVP ladders, the 22-year-old Frenchman isn’t really far off. Wemby isn’t averaging 30 or 40 points a night, unlike those other three, but it’s obvious that he’s just as good offensively, if not better. What makes him a strong candidate is not how he impacts the Spurs in scoring, but how he changes every opposing team’s geometry with his tenacious defense and rim protection.
For weeks, Wembanyama has been deemed as the frontrunner for the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year award. He’s cleared every single NBA player as the league leader in blocks with 3.0 per game. Furthermore, Wembanyama is third in defensive rating (103.6) and has the fifth-highest defensive win share rating across the league with 0.173.
All this means there’s a chance Wembanyama could win the MVP in just his third season—and maybe even the Defensive Player of the Year award. Many voters, like NBA analysts Bill Simmons and Justin Termine, actually believe Wembanyama is the league’s best player and will, without a doubt, give their votes to him for MVP.
It’s been a while since a Spur won the MVP. The last time it happened was Tim Duncan in 2003. Meanwhile, the last Spur to win Defensive Player of the Year was Kawhi Leonard, who did so in 2015 and 2019. As for the last MVP–DPOY? That was last accomplished in 2020 by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who joined legends Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only three players to have won this prestigious double.
