Victor Wembanyama stole back what was always his from Chet Holmgren

Remember when Chet Holmgren was the oddsmakers' favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year by a wide margin? Yeah, it's a time I'd like to forget, too, but fear not, Spurs fans, Victor Wembanyama has forced them to see the light of day. He's reclaimed his spot atop the list, and he's already put space between himself and the number two guy in Oklahoma City.

FanDuel now lists Wemby at -310, with Holmgren following him up at +350. If you don't speak degenerate gambler, that basically means that Vic is overwhelmingly expected to win the award. The lower the number, the better, and coming out of the break, I expect the Alien to finish the season with a bang.

With only 28 games to go, the Spurs still have some very tough teams on the docket. They still have to face the Joker and the Denver Nuggets three more times, the Pistons twice, and they'll see the Rockets, Knicks, and Celtics again. It's the 10th-most difficult slate, according to Tankathon, and I couldn't be more thrilled about it.

The Spurs' strength of schedule plays into Wemby's hands

The Alien has moved beyond the days of being the receiver of whatever punishment the elite teams dish out. He and his squad are among the elites, so every opponent on that schedule looks upon San Antonio's name with respect and caution.

It's reminiscent of a scene from the 2009 Watchmen movie, where the protagonist is cornered by a group of bad guys who believe they have the upper hand on our hero before he reveals to them that they are, in fact, trapped in the room with him. Not the other way around.

Pundits have been discussing San Antonio's shot at going deep in the playoffs more and more lately. Many of those conversations have a naysayer who believes their youth will be a hindrance to their success. We haven't reached the postseason yet, though, and so far, when the Spurs have faced the best teams in the NBA, they usually come out on top.

The Spurs have shown a propensity to rise to the occasion when faced with formidable opponents. It's the middling teams that have given them more fits this season.

With so few games left, you don't want it too jam-packed with contenders—I'm not that crazy. The top 3 hardest remaining schedules fall to Denver, OKC, and Minnesota. They can have fun with that. But I think 10th is a nice sweet spot for San Antonio.

The remaining obstacles will provide just enough competition to keep them sharp. That means an increased focus on defense down the home stretch, and a strong unit anchored by Wemby will only strengthen his case to finally bring home the one award he should have been winning every year since he entered the league.