Victor Wembanyama Earns NBA MVP Eligibility, Spurs Star Eyes Postseason Awards
Victor Wembanyama returned from a left rib contusion Friday in San Antonio. He scored 40 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in 26 minutes against the Dallas Mavericks.
Victor Wembanyama Earns NBA MVP Eligibility was the takeaway after that game. His appearance met the time threshold for award qualification during the third quarter.
Injury and return
He missed a game after a collision with Paul George on Monday. The contact produced a left rib contusion and kept him out the following night.
Wembanyama planned to play Friday if his pregame warmup went smoothly. He reached the required 20-minute mark to make the contest count for awards.
Eligibility rules and debate
Friday marked his 64th regular-season game. His NBA Cup final appearance, however, counts toward award eligibility.
He discussed the NBA’s 65-game minimum after the victory. Cade Cunningham, Luka Dončić and Anthony Edwards were among players he noted as short of the threshold.
Dončić’s status remains subject to an appeal. Wembanyama suggested using a percentage instead of a flat number.
He proposed 75 percent of games, roughly 62 contests. He argued minutes played should factor into eligibility as well.
Award standing and MVP discussion
Wembanyama is widely viewed as the Defensive Player of the Year favorite. He is also expected to make first-team All-NBA.
Spurs Star Eyes Postseason Awards, and he has publicly campaigned for the MVP. He has debated why he should win over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
His main arguments stressed defense as half the game. He cited San Antonio’s dominance of Oklahoma City this season.
Anonymous player polling in The Athletic favored Gilgeous-Alexander. Only five percent of players in that poll chose Wembanyama.
An ESPN straw poll of 100 media voters gave Gilgeous-Alexander 88 first-place votes. The media samples showed a clear lead for the Thunder guard.
Season context and team outlook
The Spurs finished 62-19 and earned the No. 2 seed. They will face the winner of the first West Play-In Tournament game.
Wembanyama hinted he might rest Sunday against the Denver Nuggets. If he does, his season began and ended with 40-point games versus Dallas.
He recorded his third 40-point game while playing under 30 minutes this year. Only Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have multiple such games in their careers, and Grayson Allen matched the feat this season.
Entering Friday, Wembanyama averaged 24.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks. The Spurs now turn toward high-stakes postseason basketball.
