The Spurs are the hottest team in basketball, thanks in large part to the play of Victor Wembanyama. As San Antonio’s stock has risen, so have the chants of MVP for the young Frenchman, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
“Of course it’s one of my goals,” Wembanyama said. “I also understand I need to press down the gas a bit in the last part of the season to win that award.”
Wembanyama has averaged 24.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game this season on .506/.360/.810 shooting splits while only playing 29.3 minutes per game, and the Spurs have won 16 of their last 17 games.
McDonald notes that the pair of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic makes for some formidable competition for the award, but Wembanyama’s teammates say that their leader’s case is a strong one.
“We went from not making the playoffs to the second seed,” rookie Dylan Harper said. “There’s not a whole lot to debate.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- De’Aaron Fox is thriving as a playmaker for the Spurs of late, and it’s helping to propel them to success, Tom Orsborn writes for the Express-News. “I just want to be at my peak physically and mentally towards the end of the season,” he said. “We’re getting there.” His coaches and teammates have been more effusive in their praise. Head coach Mitch Johnson said that he had hit another gear, while Wembanyama chalked it up to a higher operating level. “What I see from him is great decision-making and really being at peace with the basketball gods, not forcing things, doing the right play,” Wembanyama said. Fox has had 19-plus points and nine or more assists in San Antonio’s last three games, all wins.
- Coming into Wednesday, it had been 459 days since Brandon Ingram took the court in New Orleans, Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes, and his time there shouldn’t be undervalued by Pelicans fans, despite his Raptors jersey. Walker calls Ingram one of the best players to ever play in New Orleans, winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award and being named to his first All-Star team as a Pelican. “He shares a lot of relationships here, so it should be a fun game,” interim coach James Borrego said before the game. “I hope more than anything the city welcomes him back and embraces him. He gave a lot to this city. Blood, sweat, and tears. He was a competitor.”
- Johnson values the experience that Mason Plumlee brings to the Spurs, Orsborn notes (via Twitter). “He was a rookie for KG and Paul Pierce in Brooklyn, so there’s quite a bit of experience and stories,” the 39-year-old coach said. “(He’s) played with high-level players and played a few different types of roles and has seen different levels of success.” Plumlee saw his first playing time with San Antonio on Tuesday night, notching one rebound in one minute as the Spurs took down the Celtics, 125-116.