Victor Wembanyama has LeBron James sold on his MVP case, and the voters must follow

LeBron James and Steve Nash spent some time during their latest Mind the Game episode on whether this is Victor Wembanyama's MVP year, and both landed in the same place: "I don't see why not." The hangup Nash raised is the one that will trail Wemby all season. Unlike Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Nikola Jokic, he isn't always the guy who closes.

His case is built on what he does across 30-plus minutes, not the last five. Nash is right about how voters think. He's also, whether intentionally or not, highlighting something broken in how this award gets argued, and the Alien is the player who should finally break the mold.

The MVP is much more than a closer award

The Phoenix Suns' 2x MVP answered himself on the podcast when he brought up Bill Russell, who won five MVPs without ever being the guy you cleared the floor for. Shaquille O'Neal is another one.

The Big Diesel had Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, and other great Lakers to help him close games during his MVP years. He won trophies anyway because he was an overwhelmingly dominant force, regardless of who took the last shot.

Wembanyama, by the way, is the first player to average 25 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks since Shaq did it in his 1999-2000 MVP season.

Here's the real flaw: closer is an offense-only word. It counts who held the ball and who got the bucket. It doesn't count the drive that dies at the three-point line because a 7'4" monster is waiting, or the pull-up a guard settles for instead of getting downhill.

That's Wemby's whole defensive impact, and it mostly lives in shots that never happen. You can't put it in a box score, which is exactly why it keeps getting discounted.

The Western Conference Finals should have opened eyes to Wemby's impact

If you want the head-to-head, we already got it. 22-year-old Wemby and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in his prime: seven games. SGA was brilliant and scored 35 in Game 7. Vic still walked off with the Magic Johnson Trophy after averaging 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks, shooting 40% from deep.

San Antonio's French superstar became the first player in league history with 15 made threes and 15 blocks in a single series. The Spurs were plus-62 with him on the court. Possession to possession, from game to game, it wasn't close.

And if closing really is the standard, the league has a trophy for that now. It's called Clutch Player of the Year.

Does Wemby need to get better at creating his own shot in isolation? Yes. He's told us that himself. But that's a ceiling conversation, not an MVP disqualifier. He gave you 25 a night while becoming the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in NBA history.

Victor said defense is half the game and undervalued in the race back in March. He was right then, and he's right now. That doesn't have to be the determining factor going forward. It's in the hands of the voters to watch both ends and see the whole picture.

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