The San Antonio Spurs are about to begin their first playoff march since 2019, and Victor Wembanyama is at the center of their title hopes.
The San Antonio Spurs are one of the least-experienced two seeds in NBA history, but that doesn't seem to be a major concern. Bill Walton's Portland Trail Blazers are the only team in NBA history to snap a five-year postseason drought with a championship, but Walton was not the transformational player that Victor Wembanyama is.
Wembanyama, of course, is the most talented defender the league has ever seen, but he also has no trouble getting to the rim, hoisting up 3-pointers, or working on the elbow to get an open look.
While his offense is a factor and is certainly worth celebrating, it's his defense that makes the Spurs frontrunners. According to one expert, they are the frontrunners, ranked ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Why San Antonio Spurs Are Ready to Win
We can praise the Spurs' depth, culture, identity, and talent, but really, their success starts and ends with Wembanyama.
"Wemby changes everything," summed up CBS Sports' Brad Botkin. "On both sides of the ball. And it's not like he's all the Spurs have. They're loaded all the way down the roster. They beat OKC four times this season. Of the last 25 NBA champions, 23 have finished top-five in both offense and defense. The Spurs and Celtics are the only two teams that did it this year."
Botkin picked the Spurs as his title favorites, and cited a key stat to back his claim up: the worst offense in the league is whoever the Spurs are playing when Wemby is on the court.
Wembanyama has turned some of the best offenses in the entire league into teams that Adam Silver would investigate for tanking. In the Spurs' first game of the season against the Thunder, Wembanyama came off the bench, played 20 minutes, and the Spurs outscored OKC in those minutes by 21 points.
The Spurs won by two.
Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Luke Kornet, Harrison Barnes, and Julian Champagnie have all gotten their flowers this season, but the reality is that without Wembanyama, this team might not have even made the playoffs. He's the biggest game-breaker in NBA history, and gives the Spurs a massive advantage in the playoffs, no matter who they end up playing.