NBA legends echo screams of Spurs fans on ROY debate

With the team languishing near the bottom of the Western Conference, the only postseason solace that the San Antonio Spurs will find rests on Victor Wembanyama's shoulders as he makes a push for a much-deserved Rookie of the Year award. But through the first few months of the season, the competition for ROTY has been closer than originally anticipated.

It's a two-horse race at this point between Vic and Oklahoma City Thunder second-year center Chet Holmgren. Respect to Jaime Jaquez Jr., but he's a distant third at this point and it would take a catastrophic injury to Vic or Chet to clear a path to Jaquez Jr. winning Rookie of the Year.

More than any other end-of-season award, Rookie of the Year is an individualistic achievement. This isn't like MVP, which typically goes to the best player on one of the five best teams in the league, or Most Improved Player, which could be swayed by a player taking a leap on a team that goes from the fringes of the playoff race to a title hunt. This is the Rookie of the Year honors. It should go to the best individual rookie. Spurs fans have been screaming this all season and now we're not alone.

Inside The NBA team supports Wembanyama for Rookie of the Year

The Inside The NBA team of Shaq, Ernie, Chuck, and Kenny are some of the most respected names covering the league today. Whether you agree with what they're saying or not, their voices carry weight in the NBA community, and now the crew is putting their support behind Victor Wembanyama.

The guys didn't say anything that Spurs fans haven't been communicating ad nauseam for weeks now. If you look at the record, Chet has the edge. But Rookie of the Year is a singular achievement; it should be given on the merits of the individual player and nothing else. And if it's handled that way, there's no way it shouldn't go to Victor Wembanyama.

Chet is a great player. Oklahoma City is lucky to have him, and they're going to do great things with him locking down the paint. But if you hooked Sam Presti and Mark Daigneault up to a lie detector test and asked them if they'd rather have Victor Wembanyama or Chet Holmgren, what do you think the polygraph is going to tell you?

Look, this shouldn't be complicated. Wemby struggled through the first few months of the season but has been on an otherworldly tear since Christmas. He has the edge over Chet in points, blocks, assists, steals, deflections, and blocks per game.

Hell, he leads the entire NBA in blocks per game and is redefining what we thought was possible from the center position on a nightly basis. Wembanyama is living up to his Alien nickname as something the NBA has never seen before and should be awarded accordingly.

Consistent advocacy for Wembanyama for Rookie of the Year shouldn't be perceived as a slight to Holmgren. Chet is a special player on one of the best teams in the league. But if we're comparing rookie to rookie, Vic wins that contest every day of the week. Just ask the Inside the NBA crew.