Wembanyama second straight dominant effort proves one scary fact

The Spurs have looked like a completely different team over the past two wins. Those victories came over quality opponents, but the most impressive part is that San Antonio looked like the better team for the majority of the game in both contests. The Indiana Pacers were sent packing, leaving the Frost Bank Center after a 117-105 loss to give the Silver and Black their ninth double-digit victory of the season.

The entire team has been playing well together. The assists have always been there, as the Popovich-led team is second in assists per game on the season, but despite that statistic, there seemed to be a disconnect on both ends of the floor. Now, the guys are playing as connected as they've ever been, with Victor Wembanyama leading the way with another impressive stat line. While the numbers are impressive, what the numbers mean is what fans should be focusing on.

Victor Wembanyama is already a top 20 player in the NBA

This is not a far-fetched notion. The game of basketball has become solely focused on offensive production. Strong defenders get honorable mentions for their efforts unless they are doing something exceptional.

If you consider a player like Bam Adebayo, he is a top-five defender in this league, but he does not get the respect because he is not flashy and his offense can leave something to be desired. Wembanyama is flashy, impactful, and dominant on both ends of the court; fans can't take their eyes off him.

This list was made after the Oklahoma City Thunder match-up. The conversations were already starting before Victor lapped the Pacers like Sha'Carri Richardson on a race track with Gregg Popovich.

31 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, six blocks, and one steal. That's the sentence.

Every player underneath Wembanyama has a serious deficiency in their game. Victor's biggest deficiency right now is lower body strength. All he needs is time to fix that. Of course, he can improve in all areas. Players that stop growing never reach their peak. It's unlikely that is something fans have to worry about with the rookie if you look at his speedy in-season improvements. He wants to go after it, and he wants his teammates to come with him. That is a force multiplier.

"For me, the obvious answer is always be a leader by example first. I believe in those guys as much as they believe in me, so it's really a beneficial relationship. We know what we have, we know where we want to go, and we're going to trust each other. As much as I can, I've tried to lift my teammates up every time."—Wembanyama on the kind of leader he wants to be (post-game)

He scores over 20 points per game, and he's doing it efficiently now. He rebounds like a big man should and defends the basket like the White Walkers from Game of Thrones are coming to storm his castle and take his livelihood. A player who is that impactful on both sides of the floor is top-20 caliber. If you don't believe it, go ask OKC and Indiana.