In the press conference, the Frenchman reflected on the criteria for awarding the MVP award, explaining why he believes he deserves it. Meanwhile, the Spurs have won 22 of their last 24 games
“Because you’re the MVP.” The candidate presents his case. And Wembanyama did it. In the press conference after his Spurs’ victory against Miami, the Frenchman spoke about the race for the best player of the season award. “I’ve thought about it,” he said. “I think the debate is open. Rightly so, even if I think I’m leading the race. I’m trying to make sure that, at the end of the season, this debate is resolved.” Then, speaking about what the criteria should be, he was asked by The Athletic to make a three-point argument.
the three points
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First: defense. “She’s 50 percent of the game and she’s underrated, so far, in the MVP race,” Wembanyama said. “I believe I’m the most defensively impactful player in the league.” With him on the pitch, the spaces for the attackers are different, and the Spurs concede 103.5 points per 100 possessions, more than two points less than OKC’s defense, the best in the league. He is also the only player in the top six of this ranking not from the Thunder. Wemby is in the running to finish as the best shot blocker for the third year in a row: the record is 4 total seasons (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mark Eaton and Marcus Camby). Second point, the comparisons with the Thunder: “During the season we almost always won against them: three times dominating with the full team, then once with the rotation players”. Okc is Shai’s team, the favorite MVP candidate, but the direct comparison rewarded San Antonio, who however are trailing three games away. Third reason: “The offensive impact is not measured only by points.” The Frenchman is second in plus/minus, behind Shai, and averages 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 blocks per game. Only six players have finished a season with such numbers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has done so five times, Hakeem Olajuwon twice, and Shaquille O’Neal, Patrick Ewing and David Robinson once each.
the threshold
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In addition to the field values, one of the central issues regarding the MVP was the minimum number of games played necessary to be eligible for the end-of-season awards, i.e. 65. Jokic will only be able to miss one from now until the end (out of 10), Cade Cunningham should play at least 5 more, but is out with a collapsed lung. Shai Gilegous-Alexander and Doncic are on track to make it (both have played 60 games so far), but it’s been a theme for them too. Wembanyama will have to play at least 7 out of 10. The Spurs have won 22 of the last 23 games, and are a team that can aspire to the title, and have become so quickly, surprising with the leap in quality. And Wemby also forged ahead. While he is unlikely to win MVP this year, it’s just a matter of time.
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