Victor Wembanyama has not been normal this season. But are we surprised? Especially after witnessing headlines about how the young Frenchman convinced Kevin Garnett and Hakeem Olajuwon to train him in the offseason. They were two of the best big men in NBA history. The question is, are we seeing Wemby heading in an elite, MVP-esque direction like theirs?

The answer to that is yes. I think we’ve all known that Victor Wembanyama was destined for greatness. What’s personally caught me off guard, though, is how quickly the big guy is progressing through different hurdles in his career.

After three games, the Spurs are 3-0, and Wemby is posting a dominant stat line, averaging 33.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 7.7 steals and blocks. I know in my sane mind that we’re still early into the season, but I cannot stop thinking about him winning the MVP.

NBA MVP odds: Not more than a three-horse race

If we look at the current NBA MVP odds, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+275) is favored to snatch the award again. Deservedly so, but he poses to be the only competition to Victor Wembanyama (+350), for now, apart from Nikola Jokic (+375) in the mix.

Two likely scenarios: (one favoring Wemby, one not)

A) If SGA wins, he’ll be the 14th player to lift the award in consecutive years. He’d have elite company in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James, who’ve crazily done it twice.

B) If Wemby wins, he turns 22 in January, so he’d join Derrick Rose and Wes Unseld as the youngest MVPs in NBA history. If we go deeper, counting the number of months, Rose was 22 years and seven months old, whereas Wemby would be just slightly younger, making him the youngest MVP winner.

The young Frenchman opened the season at +1800 simply because the Spurs were projected to be no more than a fringe playoff team in the West.

Since 1983, only Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook have bagged an MVP award while their team finished outside the top three in their conference. Wemby’d have to have nothing less than an outstanding season if he were even to stand a chance.

The Spurs haven’t locked a playoff spot since the 2018-19 season. If Victor Wembanyama were to be seriously considered for the MVP title, he’d have to a) hit the 65-game threshold and b) carry his San Antonio side to a play-in spot at the very least.

According to BetMGM, the Spurs’ playoff odds are -200, indicating a 66.67% chance of making the postseason in 2025-26.

Can the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama make a serious run for the playoffs?

Victor Wembanyama, who is undeniably taller this season, returned to full fitness after deep vein thrombosis forced the team doctor to end his 2023-24 campaign. The Frenchman, however, didn’t hesitate even once when setting his expectations for the Spurs.

“Success would be getting to the playoffs and not the play-in,” Wemby said. “That means sixth seed.”

For all you doubters, he was kind enough even to clarify the seed.

In an SB Nation survey, 86% of respondents felt positively about the Spurs’ postseason presence. For starters, that shows you where the fanbase’s heads are at.

The San Antonio side has made understated yet important moves, drafting Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant, while securing Luke Kornet in free agency. With Victor Wembanyama healthy + Stephon Castle and Jeremy Sochan, they suddenly look like a team with depth and versatility.

Those words were relatively unheard of because they’ve struggled to amass talent over longer periods of time…

But they now have combo guards in Harper, Fox, and Castle, while Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, and Bryant can play multiple positions. This looks like a competitive group that can surely hold down the paint. Finding a proper 8-10 man rotation shouldn’t be a big deal either.

They await the return of De’Aaron Fox and Kelly Olynyk, but is that going to really stop anything? Their 3-0 record speaks for itself.

According to Spurs PR’s Jordan Howenstine, Victor Wembanyama became the first player in NBA history to record 100 or more points and 15 or more blocks through a team’s first three games. This was after the Brooklyn Nets game.

Wemby made Anthony Davis look miserable when they played the Mavs. For years, AD has been one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.

Be it lobs, dunks, or unbelievable shooting clips, the young Frenchman and his team seem to have the answer to everything. And we’re not forgetting that reverse dunk for a while.

The one where he pump fakes, takes one dribble towards the wing, gets past PJ Washington, who’s in the air, draws a foul from AD, while smashing it in from the other end of the hoop.

I think Victor Wembanyama wins the MVP award this season. This is not your typical bandwagon hype after three games. As I said earlier, we’ve expected this performance uptick in his game, just not at the speed it’s hit us. He’s making it seem like they’re nerf hoops at this point.