Victor Wembanyama’s MVP push is getting louder by the night, and the reason is simple: the scoring jump is real.
The San Antonio Spurs star blew past the Dallas Mavericks for 52 points, and that kind of eruption has a way of changing the conversation fast. Wembanyama is no longer just flashing superstar potential. He’s starting to look like a legitimate MVP candidate, and the biggest driver is a cleaner, more direct offensive approach.
This season, he’s gone back to basics. Rather than leaning heavily on self-created offense off the dribble or trying to manufacture everything from the post, Wembanyama has spent more time rolling to the basket and firing away from deep. It’s not the way most people picture a 7-4 center playing, but it’s working.
Through 10 games, he’s averaging 29.1 points per game. That production has come even though his 3-point and free throw percentages are still below his career marks. The efficiency is still catching up, but the scoring volume alone has pushed his offensive profile to another level.
That matters because the MVP race already looks like a three-player battle between Wembanyama, Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic. If Wembanyama stays healthy and the Spurs end up with the best record among those teams, his case gets even stronger.
The defense is already there. He remains far and away the best defensive player in the NBA, which gives his offensive leap even more weight. If he keeps hovering around 29 points per game, he could lock himself in as one of the league’s top-five scorers while pairing that with all-time great defense.
There’s still room for the efficiency to rise. His true shooting percentage is down sharply, mostly because he’s taking more mid-range jumpers and hasn’t been sharp there, while also attempting more threes. But if his 3-point and free throw numbers move back toward the mean and the midrange starts to come around, the scoring could climb even higher.
Last season, Wembanyama averaged 25 points on 62.6% true shooting. If he can get to at least 29 points per game on 60% true shooting, it would be hard to choose SGA or Doncic over him.
For now, the formula is clear: the scoring leap, the defensive dominance and team success could turn Wembanyama from a candidate into the frontrunner.
In Other News...
Spurs Suddenly Have A Devin Vassell Decision That Could Shift Everything
Devin Vassells status has become one of the more important pregame storylines for the Spurs as they get ready to face the Suns. He is listed as questionable with left adductor tightness, and that matters because San Antonio has already been leaning on his scoring and spacing while trying to settle into a rhythm. Vassells recent shooting has also been part of the conversation, making his availability more than just a routine injury note.
If he cannot go, Julian Champagnie is expected to slide into the starting lineup, which would give the Spurs a different look on the wing. That kind of adjustment can ripple through the rotation quickly, especially against a Suns team that will punish any offensive timing issues. For San Antonio, the question is not only whether Vassell can suit up, but how much the lineup changes if he cannot. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Gets A Chance To Silence One Spurs Rivals Confidence
Dillon Brooks has been willing to talk like he has Victor Wembanyama figured out, leaning on the early matchups between the two to make his case. Most of those meetings came when Wembanyama was still in his rookie year or just into his second season, which matters now because the Spurs center is not the same player he was then. He has added strength, sharpened his decisions and put together a strong season that looks a lot more like the version San Antonio expected when it drafted him.
That is what makes the next meeting so interesting from the Spurs side. Brooks may be carrying confidence from what happened before, but those results do not automatically travel with him when Wembanyama is playing with more physicality and a clearer sense of how to control a game. For San Antonio, it is a chance to see whether one of the leagues most outspoken defenders can still bother a player who has already shown he can keep evolving past old scouting reports. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Spurs Showed One Unbeaten Trait Fans Should Notice
The Austin Spurs opened their home slate at H-E-B Center with a 115-103 win over the Laketown Squadron, and the early signs of cohesion were hard to miss. JaKobi Gillespie set the tone with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Terry Taylor supplied a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds as Austin kept its unbeaten start rolling.
For a team still settling into the season, the bigger takeaway may be how comfortably the Spurs are sharing the load and dictating the pace in the first week. At 2-0, they head into their Tip-Off Tournament matchup with the Memphis Hustle carrying momentum, and a chance to show whether this balanced start is a real early-season trait or just a strong opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]