It’s only a matter of time before San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama takes over the NBA, and his latest performance made that abundantly clear.
Wembanyama, the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has already claimed his first Defensive Player of the Year award and is in the running for league MVP. The Spurs finished as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, boasting the second-best record in the NBA behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder.
But it was Friday night’s Game 3 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves that truly underscored why Wembanyama is a unique force. At just 22 years old, he had struggled offensively in Game 1, scoring only 11 points on 5-of-17 shooting, including 0-for-8 from deep, as the Timberwolves pulled off a shocking upset. He improved slightly in Game 2 with 19 points in a blowout win. However, everything clicked in Game 3, where Wembanyama erupted for 39 points on 13-of-18 shooting, adding 15 rebounds and five blocks. The Spurs now lead the series 2-1, fueled by his overwhelming presence.
Very few NBA teams have a solution for Wembanyama. The world simply doesn’t have many 7-foot-4 players who can move with such fluidity. It’s remarkable that he’s already an MVP candidate while still developing. Defensively, no one in the league is better. Offensively, consistency is still a work in progress, but Friday night offered a terrifying glimpse of what’s to come once he fully puts it together.
Forget his underrated ball-handling, ability to drive, and dominance around the rim—against the Timberwolves, he also hit 3-of-5 from deep. How can anyone realistically defend that? The Spurs needed his offensive brilliance, as they narrowly won 115-108. Already, Wembanyama is learning how to impact winning. While many NBA stars can pour in 39 points efficiently, some are “empty stats guys” who don’t truly contribute to winning. Wembanyama is the opposite.
According to Kalshi, a popular prediction market, the Spurs have a 22% chance of winning the NBA Finals—second only to the Thunder. Wembanyama’s team is a title favorite, and he hasn’t even reached his peak yet.
