Ridiculous MVP odds shift proves Wembanyama has an uphill battle

The Spurs are in the middle of an eight-game winning streak, proving they're a tier above everyone from the third seed and below, as their lead over the Nuggets increased to five games. With the success the team is having, I thought I'd go check FanDuel's odds for MVP and was disappointed to see Cade Cunningham join Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic ahead of Victor Wembanyama.

The Nuggets are 4-6 in their last 10 games, but the Joker is averaging a 29-point triple-double, so I understand why he's still ahead of the Alien. If San Antonio keeps increasing their lead over Denver, I expect that'll change. SGA is the reigning MVP, and OKC has the best record in the Western Conference again. I won't begrudge his spot right now, either.

I do, however, have an issue with Detroit's franchise point guard getting more love than Vic. Cunningham has gotten a lot of attention lately, and it's spinning the narrative in the wrong direction.

Wemby and Cade's numbers aren't very different

First, both guys play on both ends of the floor. The Pistons' rough-riding floor general is a tremendous defender, but only one guy changes the geometry of the court. All Wemby has to do is exist to change how opponents can play offense. His impact on that side is unparalleled.

Second, let's compare their counting stats. Cade is averaging 25.5 points, 9.8 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. He's shooting 46.3% from the field and 33.8% from three. His nearly 10 assists a night are second in the league.

Wembanyama is putting up 24.3 points, 2.9 assists, 11.2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2.7 blocks per game. His field goal percentage is 51.1%, and he's shooting 35.7% from beyond the arc. San Antonio's cornerstone is fifth in rebounding and leads the league in blocks. So, their numbers are somewhat similar.

Wembanyama is more valuable in every sense of the word

Cunningham runs everything on that team. The ball is always in his hands, but when it's not, defenses don't bend to him anyway. They do for Wemby. They're scared of the lob threat—they're terrified to even let him establish position down low. I don't want to take anything away from how great Cade is, but he's not supercharging what Victor Wembanyama is.

We've talked about this ad nauseam, but we'll have to do it again. The Spurs were the 13th seed last year and were only projected for 41 wins this season, according to ESPN, while others were generous enough to go up to 43. We haven't reached March, and they're about to surpass those numbers while holding on firmly to the second seed in the tougher of the two conferences.

What the Pistons are doing is awesome, but they were the sixth seed last year, so they didn't make as much of a leap, and record-wise, San Antonio is right behind them. What they're doing is more impressive, and Wemby is the driving force of their success. It's exactly what everyone should think of when having MVP discussions. He should be moving up in the rankings.

The three players ahead of Vic aren't just ahead by a little; they hold a significant edge. Fortunately, Wembanyama gets a chance to show everyone exactly what his impact looks like against Detroit in their own building. The Spurs are one-point underdogs, and that's just how they like it. They're 10-6 when the odds are against them.