NBA's massive jolt to Wemby's MVP campaign comes at the worst time for SGA

Arguing with fans on social media over Victor Wembanyama's case has been like pulling teeth, but it's nice to remember that those people don't have votes. Members of the media do, and the train for the Alien's MVP push left the station a while ago. Several verified voters have been singing Wemby's praises for the past few weeks, and now he's landed atop the weekly ladder on the NBA's official website.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on the San Antonio superstar's heels at number two, but that may not be enough at this point. The Spurs have an easy schedule to finish out the year, and that will give the skyscraping Frenchman an advantage over the competition. SGA and the Thunder, on the other hand, must deal with a brutal stretch to end the campaign.

That makes the timing of Victor's rise to number one perfect for him and horrendous for the defending MVP.

SGA will have a hard time taking the top spot from Wemby

Time is running out. There are only about two and a half weeks left in the season, and the Alien has already made his intentions to go for it all clear. Seeing his name top this list will only embolden him to press on the gas. Gilgeous-Alexander will likely try to do the same, but he has to deal with the Pistons, Knicks, Lakers (x2), Clippers, and Suns. The Silver and Black don't have a schedule nearly as daunting.

They just dropped their 12-game winning streak after losing to Boston. That was the first tough matchup of their difficult run, and they lost it when they were at full strength. There will likely at least be one more, but even if there's not, NBA.com writer Shaun Powell's willingness to elevate Wemby before the Spurs pass OKC in the standings reinforces a belief I've had about this race for weeks.

San Antonio does not, and should not, have to pass the Thunder in the standings for Victor Wembanyama to win this award. Guys have earned this honor after their teams finished anywhere from second to sixth, so I don't want to hear that. That's a common sentiment being thrown around in these discussions, and it's incorrect because of the narrative that comes along with SA's ascension.

Wembanyama deserves credit for the Spurs' turnaround

We don't have to throw the numbers around again. We all probably know them by heart. SGA scores more; Wemby defends better. But there's always been more to the MVP race. The story of the season matters, and nobody has a more compelling story this season than Vic, considering he lost his previous year due to a terrifying blood clot.

The Spurs weren't supposed to be here. Most of the preseason projections released said they would barely make the play-in. Midway through the year, people still weren't taking them seriously. After knocking off the Thunder, Pistons, Celtics, Nuggets, and Lakers. After an insane rate of winning, they had to admit that San Antonio is defying the odds. They are contenders, and Wemby is the reason.

To go from 13th in the Western Conference to second in the NBA and only a couple of games back from the overall top seed is no small feat. It's actually quite inconceivable, and yet here we are. The success directly correlates to Wembanyama's dominance on both sides of the floor, and it's a story that deserves to be celebrated. Otherwise, what are we even doing?