The NBA world has officially run out of excuses why Wemby shouldn't be MVP

As the NBA MVP race heats up, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is getting increased consideration. More attention is normally a good thing, but a recent stat has been used against him.

Wembanyama's lack of minutes played in comparison to other MVP candidates has been questioned. In fact, he has actually played fewer minutes than LeBron James, who is currently in his 23rd season and 18 years older than Wembanyama.

Wembanyama has actually played more games, but LeBron plays more minutes. That has a lot to do with Wemby having been on a minutes restriction for part of the season.

The criticism regarding his limited minutes overlooks the fact that he has made a significant impact on both ends of the floor.

Wembanyama is the MVP no matter how many minutes he plays

The real reason Wembanyama's minutes are only now receiving scrutiny is that other fan bases with MVP candidates need a reason to discount his impact. Resorting to minutes played is rather lame.

Especially since they are ignoring all of the stats and advanced metrics that prove he should be a top-three MVP candidate. To clarify, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) remains the clear frontrunner.

Even so, he hasn't been far and away the best player in the NBA this season, which isn't to discount his strong play. Having an argument about who should win MVP is normal, but resorting to a player's lack of minutes is a new one.

After all, if it were such a concern, Wemby wouldn't even be getting MVP consideration.

Wembanyama's impact is more important than minutes played

If Wembanyama is eligible for MVP, then he should be considered for the award. This argument is especially true given that he leads the team in scoring and San Antonio has the second-best record in the NBA.

Not only that but the Spurs have beaten SGA and the Oklahoma City Thunder four times this season.

The Spurs' overall record and their head-to-head record against OKC alone should make Wembanyama a finalist for MVP. Let alone the fact that he is the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year and to make the All-NBA First Team.

Anyone focusing on a trivial stat such as minutes played is ignoring Wembanyama's strong case for MVP.