Amidst rising acclaim for Victor Wembanyama’s on-court prowess, skepticism persists, as ex-Spur Robert Horry questions his MVP candidacy.
SAN ANTONIO — While some people celebrate San Antonio Spurs‘ Victor Wembanyama and his impact on the court, others remain skeptical, believing it is too early for the French big man to earn major awards, such as being a top contender for the NBA MVP Award.
And you can add ex-Spur Robert Horry to the list of those who are not completely sold on the Wemby hype.
Following the Spurs’ 136-108 road win against the Lakers, where Wemby torched Los Angeles for 40 points, Horry threw shade towards Wembanyama, saying he is not in his top five for the Most Valuable Player race.
“He’s not even in my top five,” said Horry. “Because he hasn’t played enough games for me to be in my top five.”
“He’s too inconsistent for me,” Horry continued. “I think we’re trying to anoint him as the next great too fast. Don’t get me wrong, the kid is absolutely fantastic. But he ain’t no LeBron James, he ain’t no Kobe Bryant. I do have a vote (for MVP).”
Horry did not stop there.
He doubled down on his opinion on the Road Trippin’ podcast to further explain how the Spurs center is not an MVP candidate yet.
Wembanyama is averaging 24.4 points per game this season, along with 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.7 blocks, and shooting 36% from three-point range over 40 games.
He’s led the Spurs to the second-best record in the West (38-16), is a two-time NBA All-Star, and leads the Spurs’ defensive attack with a defensive rating of 102.8 this season.
The recent NBA MVP Ladder has him at No. 5 in the race, while averaging 26.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks in February, and among most oddsmakers, he is in the top five candidates likely to land the award.
Those numbers, plus the Spurs’ standing in the NBA, all but make him more than MVP-worthy.