The San Antonio Spurs are officially back in the playoff conversation - and not just as a feel-good story. At 29-13 and sitting second in the Western Conference, they’ve got the record, the resume, and a 3-1 edge over the conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder to prove it. But as much as this team has grown, all eyes remain on the 7-foot-4 centerpiece: Victor Wembanyama.
Let’s be clear - Wemby’s impact on this Spurs team is massive, even when he’s not on the floor. But when he is out there, he’s already flirting with award-worthy production.
If not for the number of games he’s missed nudging up against the league’s eligibility threshold, we’d be talking about him as a legitimate candidate for both Defensive Player of the Year and MVP. That’s how dominant he’s been, especially on the defensive end.
His defense? It’s already elite.
He’s altering shots, switching onto guards, anchoring the paint - everything you’d want from a modern rim protector, and then some. But it’s on offense where Wembanyama is still learning how to fully weaponize his unique skill set.
And that’s not a knock - he’s still averaging 24.5 points per game on the most efficient shooting of his young career. That’s impressive by any standard.
But there’s a sense that he’s only scratching the surface.
This season, Wembanyama has made a conscious shift in how he approaches scoring. He’s taking fewer threes than ever before, opting instead for smarter looks and becoming more of a force inside.
That’s a big step forward. Gone are the days of settling for deep, contested jumpers early in the shot clock.
He’s picking his spots better, moving the ball when he needs to, and showing signs of a maturing offensive game.
Still, there’s another level he can reach - and some former players are seeing it too.
Three-time All-Star Gilbert Arenas recently weighed in, offering some pointed but constructive advice: simplify. “If he is starting to play the game without putting the ball on the floor, the chances of them getting to the Western Conference Finals are going to be heightened,” Arenas said.
“Defensively, seven-game series, him dominating, him controlling the game, that gives them a chance. If he starts scoring easy buckets without wasting energy, good luck.”
That’s the crux of it. Wembanyama has elite handles for someone his size, no doubt.
But when he dribbles too much in traffic, it gives defenders a window - they can crowd him, get into his body, and make life harder than it needs to be. The next step in his development is about efficiency, not just in shot selection but in how he gets to those shots.
Less energy spent dancing on the perimeter, more energy focused on sealing, cutting, and finishing.
If Wemby starts scoring without the extra dribbles - think quick post-ups, lobs, and transition dunks - he becomes almost unguardable. And that’s where things get scary for the rest of the West.
The Spurs, for their part, are playing like a team that believes it can make a deep run. They’ve shown they can beat top-tier competition, including Oklahoma City. While the Thunder might be the more complete team on paper, San Antonio has the size, the defense, and the star power to make things interesting - especially if Wembanyama continues to evolve offensively.
And if he starts stringing together 30-minute nights where he’s both dominant and efficient? The Spurs won’t just be a nice story. They’ll be a real problem.