Spurs' Victor Wembanyama earned his first official MVP vote this season. Could this voter's mentality signal more votes are on the way?
San Antonio Spurs' superstar Victor Wembanyama has been right in the middle of the Most Valuable Player conversation after a phenomenal season.
While the debate has always been there with Wemby, he got his first true step toward the award after a voter announced they cast their ballot for him.
According to Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor on X, he voted for Wembanyama ahead of Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver's Nikola Jokic.
Interestingly, O'Connor stated that he originally was prepared to side with Gilgeous-Alexander but opted to switch to Wemby after taking a deeper dive. Could this change of heart be a sign of things to come from other voters?
In his corresponding column explaining his ballot, The Assassin vs. The Alien, O'Connor explained the biggest reasons why he believed the Spurs' standout deserved his first MVP award over the reigning title holder in SGA.
One of the core facets of his argument was Wembanyama's defensive dominance. The Spurs boasted the largest defensive differential in the NBA, from a 103.2 when he is on the court to a 113.4 when he is off. He is also the league leader in blocks at 3.1 per game.
All of this is probably well-known amongst Spurs faithful, as Wembanyama has made a name for himself as a premier defender, arguably the NBA's best. Many pundits already have Wemby pegged as the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year. So why does it matter in terms of the MVP award?
Well, O'Connor explained that while flashy offensive numbers draw eyes, defense has always played a crucial role in several tight races in the past.
"And yes, defense should be a factor in MVP voting. It has always mattered," wrote O'Connor. "In my years of voting, it's why Giannis won in back-to-back years. It's why Jokic didn't win until 2021...Defense certainly played a part in why SGA won last year, too."
It is undoubtedly going to be a tight race between the reigning champion and the upstart challenger, but the defensive edge alongside San Antonio's team success over Oklahoma City could be the difference.
It's been repeated time and time again, but it's worth repeating for the sake of argument that the Spurs won the season series over the Thunder 4-1.
O'Connor closed his piece by encouraging not only voters but fans of the NBA to look beyond the eye-popping numbers of Gilgeous-Alexander and see how Wembanyama truly affects the game beyond the scoreboard.
If those with the power to crown the Most Valuable Player heed this advice, it is extremely likely that they will see what O'Connor, Spurs fans and even Wembanyama himself have been arguing during the race.
It may be overly optimistic to believe everyone will suddenly open their proverbial eyes to the case for Wembanyama, but it appears that his MVP hopes are more than just a dream.