Victor Wembanyama has started the season like an NBA veteran in the prime of his career. In just his third year in the NBA, Wembanyama is averaging 30.2 points, 14.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 4.8 blocks, while shooting 56.3% from the field, leading the Spurs to a 5-0 start to the regular season.
According to Polymarket Sports, Victor Wembanyama is considered the betting favorite to win the Most Valuable Player (MVP), Most Improved Player (MIP), and Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) this season. If he wins all three awards, he would become the first-ever NBA player to win them in the same year.
In fact, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only player to have won all three of those awards, but they were not in the same season. No player has won the MIP award and gone on to win the DPOY and MVP awards, except Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Several elite two-way players have won the MVP and DPOY in the same season, like Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Antetokounmpo. Therefore, if Wembanyama wins even two of these three awards, then he will find himself in exclusive company with the legends of the game.
Although it is way too early in the season to make these predictions, Wembanyama has started the season proving why ESPN ranked him as a top-five player in the league this summer.
Charles Barkley Highlights Only Concern In Victor Wembanyama’s NBA Career
Charles Barkley recently appeared on the Dan Patrick Show, where he spoke about the only concern he sees in Victor Wembanyama’s future in the NBA.
“Well, the only question about Victor is his health. There’s never been a question about him playing. It’s just about, ‘can he stay healthy?’” said Barkley.“You know these guys who have these very unique bodies. I mean, and he probably got the most unique body we’ve ever seen in the NBA, other than Shaquille [O’Neal].”
“Like Shaquille, when Kevin McHale and I talk about it, for the first time, when we saw Shaquille O’Neal, we couldn’t believe how big and athletic he was. I met Wilt [Chamberlain], but I never got to see him play. But Shaquille had the most unique body I’ve ever seen in the NBA because of how big and strong and fast he was.”
“But Victor is different because, you look at Manute Bol, Gheorghe Muresan, Mark Eaton, guys who are like 7’3”, 7’4”, they didn’t have this type of athletic ability. They couldn’t shoot threes and dribble and things like that. So, he’s probably the most unique player we’ve had in the NBA, and we ain’t never had anything like him.”
Considering the prospects he is looking at in his future, he will likely be figuratively underpaid when he is up for a contract extension, solely due to the league’s salary-cap restrictions. But if he stays healthy and extends his contract, the Spurs could have their franchise player for the next decade at least.
Do you think Wembanyama will stay healthy and consistent with the way he has started this season? He is certainly proving that there is a strong reason why teams were tanking from midway through the season for him in 2023.
