Victor Wembanyama is rewriting the NBA's unwritten MVP rule in real time

As the NBA regular season winds down, several superstars are making their MVP push. San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is making a strong case for MVP, but so is Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic.

Both are chasing Oklahoma City Thunder reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, perhaps Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander should be trailing Wembanyama for the award.

Historically, offensive players have been favored more for the MVP award, but Wembanyama could be the player to change that trend. After all, he is favored to win Defensive Player of the Year and already ranks as one of the most impactful defensive players in NBA history.

Victor Wembanyama's defensive impact should factor into MVP

Wembanyama's defensive impact this season can't be understated. He has a staggering defensive rating of 101.0 while the Spurs have a 117.9 defensive rating without Wemby.

Teams simply can't score when he's on the court, and it's propelling the Silver and Black to a top-3 defense. They are absolutely wrecking teams on that end of the floor by shutting down the paint.

When Wembanyama is in the game, teams avoid the rim, and when they do attack, their shots are often returned to sender.

In fact, he has a staggering 16 games this season in which he's blocked at least five shots; no one else has more than five. Better yet, he is on pace to lead the NBA in blocks per game and total blocks for a third straight year.

We haven't seen this level of defensive dominance since prime Rudy Gobert. Even then, he wasn't taken seriously as an MVP candidate because he wasn't nearly as dominant offensively.

Wembanyama's elite two-way play should make him MVP

The same can't be said for Wembanyama. He is having a similar level of impact offensively. He's averaging a blistering 24.1 points on an outrageous 61.9% true shooting.

Not only that, but his shooting ability at center stretches defenses to their breaking point by taking the rim protector away from the rim. Even when he rolls to the basket, he often draws at least two defenders, resulting in the Spurs feasting on open corner threes.

As a result of his elite two-way play, he boasts the best net rating of any player in the NBA. Yes, that includes Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic. Therefore, his case for winning the award is every bit as valid as theirs, with his defense fueling his MVP push.