Exclusive: Kenny Smith reveals key to Victor Wembanyama becoming MVP candidate this season
10/24/2024 01:57 PM
The San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama may be ready to take that next step from being a star into an MVP candidate. The 7-foot-4 sensation lived up to the hype in his rookie season, garnering a number of accolades — Rookie of the Year, All-Defensive First Team, NBA blocks leader — as the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
However, the Spurs continued to struggle despite Wembanyama’s record-breaking season — he became the first player in NBA history to post 1,500 points, 250 blocks, and 100 made three-pointers in a single season — finishing with a 22-60 record, the same record as the previous season. It was the second-worst record in the Western Conference and one of the bottom five records in the entire league.
While the Spurs may not be ready to be championship contenders, they may be ready to take a leap forward and emerge as a potential playoff threat following the addition of one of the greatest point guards ever in Chris Paul. Although Paul may be on his last legs at the age of 39, he brings a wealth of playoff experience and could be the key to helping make Victor Wembanyama into an MVP candidate in his second season, according to “Inside The NBA’s” Kenny Smith.
“I don’t know if you would consider it a breakout, but Victor Wembanyama goes from an All-Star to an MVP candidate this year,” predicts Smith in a one-on-one interview on behalf of his partnership with FanDuel. “I think the addition of Chris Paul is going to be underrated of the leadership part of it, of teaching him how to be a leader and maybe putting some of those younger guys in a better understanding of what’s expected of them. The leadership role that Chris Paul will bring even in limited minutes that he might play in certain games — I think it’s going to be underrated and going to help Wembanyama be an MVP candidate.”
How Chris Paul Can Help Victor Wembanyama Become an MVP Candidate
Paul is entering his 20th season but has proven he can excel in a number of roles, whether that’s as a leading man or a secondary piece. He led the league in assists as recently as two years ago and has an NBA Finals appearance under his belt. Furthermore, Paul has a history of leading young teams — the Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder, for example — into the playoffs.
The 11-time All-NBA selection helped lead the Suns to a Finals appearance in 2021 just a year after finishing 34-39 and out of the playoffs during the previous season. After he was traded to the Thunder during the 2019 offseason, Paul led a young and inexperienced team to the fifth seed in the Western Conference after losing two of their biggest stars in Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
Although the Spurs play in a competitive Western Conference — the eighth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans were 49-33 last season — they beefed up their roster with the addition of Paul and NBA champion Harrison Barnes. The hope is that the wealth of experience combined with the promising youth led by Wembanyama — 24-year-old Devin Vassell averaged 19.5 points per game last season — can lead to San Antonio’s first playoff appearance since the 2018-19 season.
If San Antonio can compete for a playoff spot combined with Wembanyama’s prolific production, the French import should very well be in the MVP conversation.
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