Though the San Antonio Spurs have cooled off in losing three of their last five games, the undeniable wave of excitement emerging from three straight wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder persists. After all, the Spurs are clearly ahead of schedule, posting a 25-10 record in a season in which they were widely projected to take a more modest step forward than a tremendous leap. There is plenty to be excited about with San Antonio, including the intriguing development of Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, the strong season from De'Aaron Fox, and a well-stocked cupboard of future-facing draft capital.
However, the biggest reason -- by a wide margin -- for full-fledged excitement remains the star power of Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama is already one of the best players in the NBA, even as he just turned 22 years in early January. While he has appeared in only 21 games this season, he is on track for All-NBA honors (if he qualifies) and the betting favorite for NBA Defensive Player of the Year. To that end, Wembanyama also has the kind of on-off splits that are usually reserved for MVP candidates.
In 625 minutes with Wembanyama on the court this season, the Spurs are out-scoring opponents by a blistering 12.6 points per 100 possessions. That is headlined by a dominant defensive rating of 103.9, and while the Spurs are still relatively effective with Luke Kornet on the floor in Wembanyama's place, the team's net rating dips to plus-1.5 without the centerpiece deployed.
One major question with Wembanyama is just how quickly he could ascend to "best player in the world" status, particularly after that was almost an expectation for him (as crazy as that sounds) as he entered the league. In this space, we'll take a look at which players he has to surpass for that to become a reality and, in the process, reveal that it isn't as far away as some may think.
Nikola Jokić
Unfortunately, Jokić is currently sidelined with injury, but the three-time NBA MVP is in the midst of one of his best seasons ever. Jokić is averaging 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 11.0 assists per game, leading the league in both rebounding and assists. Beyond that, he has been the most efficient scorer (71.3 percent true shooting) in the league, and Jokić is simply a preposterous player. At the age of 30, there are no signs that Jokić could be slowing down, but perhaps that will arrive at some point to give Wembanyama and others a chance to ascend.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Gilgeous-Alexander, not Jokic, is the reigning NBA MVP, and he is now the betting favorite to repeat after Jokic's injury. The 27-year-old guard is averaging 31.9 points per game on elite efficiency, including the best three-point shooting season (41.9 percent) of his career. Gilgeous-Alexander is also a defensive weapon in a way that most top-flight scorers are not, and he's in the middle of his prime. Quite honestly, the list of players that Wembanyama is definitively behind might end here, but Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander are ahead of him.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
It is possible that Wembanyama could pass Antetokounmpo sooner rather than later, in part because of age and durability. Giannis is now 31 years old and, while he remains a dominant force when playing, the injuries have mounted a bit in recent days. Still, he is a nine-time All-NBA selection and two-time NBA MVP, with Antetokpounmpo averaging 29.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game this season. Also, the Bucks have a soaring plus-10.4 net rating when he plays and a ghastly minus-9.1 net rating when he doesn't. There is some noise in that Milwaukee constructed its entire roster around him, but that kind of split is undeniable when pointing to the value of Giannis.
Luka Dončić
The underlying data with the Lakers is not exactly sparkling, but it feels relatively safe to have Dončić at least leaning ahead of Wembanyama at this point. He is averaging 33.7 points, 8.7 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game this season, even while attempting to break through a 3-point shooting slump. Dončić could put up 35 points per game if he reverts to his career average from deep, and he remains one of the best passers and creators in the sport. Obviously, Wembanyama's defensive impact is something that Dončić can't dream about, but this is the end of the tier that one could place ahead of Wembanyama in a present-day sense.
The case for Wemby
It seems wild to suggest, but Wembanyama is just scratching the surface. He is already averaging 29.4 points and 14.2 rebounds per 36 minutes, and Wembanyama is taking the efficiency steps in his third season that many hoped he would. His defensive dominance could transcend most of the league in short order, and no one should be particularly surprised if Wembanyama is widely considered the third-best player in the NBA (trailing Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander) by the end of the 2026 NBA Playoffs ... or sooner.