Victor Wembanyama's MVP run faces a tough road ahead

This season's MVP race has been one of the most intriguing ones in a while. SGA is putting up astronomical numbers while leading a battered Thunder team to the best record in the league. Nikola Jokic is, once again, averaging a triple-double with video game-like efficiency from the floor.

Victor Wembanyama is throwing his hat in the ring for MVP considerations as well, making him the youngest player in this year's race. The home stretch will be a tough one for him and San Antonio through the home stretch of the season, but it could also be the stretch that makes his candidacy even stronger.

Wemby's been rising to the moment for the Spurs

Victor "The Idea" Wembanyama has been more than just an idea through the post-All-Star break stretch. Through his last four, he's putting up 33.5 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 3.8 BPG while draining 46% of his shots from three.

This, of course, includes some iconic individual performances against some of the league's best teams, including the Pistons and the Celtics. Perhaps that's the most impressive feat of Victor's season: his ability to step up to the moment when faced against the league's most elite talent.

San Antonio has a tough road ahead through the remainder of the season, and he can only continue to make his MVP case stronger by showing out against the NBA's best.

They have three remaining games against the Denver Nuggets, so if Wemby can turn in some impressive performances against Nikola Jokic, conversations will intensify. Historically, Jokic has the upper hand in faceoffs against Victor, but he hasn't dealt with this version of the seven-footer.

How can Victor Wembanyama control the MVP narrative?

The next challenge for Wemby is to put together a more compelling narrative than his competitors in this year's MVP race. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hasn't made it easy. He's putting up over 30 PPG for the fourth straight season while keeping a battered Thunder roster's head above water with the best record in the league.

So how can Victor Wembanyama put together a stronger case than that? SGA is having one of the greatest seasons for a guard in NBA history, so building a narrative to top that is no simple task.

Wemby has to continue to lean into his elite two-way play. That is what differentiates him from every other major candidate for the award this year. He's been able to balance his mind-boggling offensive talent with a devastating two-way attack, posting a league-best three blocks and a 101.3 defensive rating.

Let's be honest, defensive impact hasn't been the most glaring part of recent MVP debates. So if Victor remains dominant on that end through the home stretch, he brings a brand new dynamic to the conversation and sets himself apart from other candidates with his two-way proficiency.

The door isn't closed for Victor Wembanyama to make a final push for the league MVP award. It'll be a tough path, but the third-year star has more than enough in his toolkit to sway voters in his favor.