Wembanyama left Spurs fans a gift before exiting clash with Embiid and the 76ers

Victor Wembanyama likely isn't going to get the MVP this season, but if the city of San Antonio had a vote, he'd win in a landslide. He was able to show why in the 16 minutes he played against Philly tonight, influencing the game from start to finish. If you're worried about his 65-game eligibility, don't. His 15 minutes played was enough to count toward the total, so they're playing with house money.

The Alien posted 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the time he spent on the court. It looked like he was on his way to another big-time performance against another elite player at his position, but they likely wanted to err on the side of caution. After dueling Nikola Jokic Saturday afternoon, Joel Embiid suited up for his date with the Spurs, and Wemby met the challenge.

He may not have been able to finish the game, but one thing seems clear about the Silver and Black's superstar: he seems ready to take on every challenge thrown his way. Spurs Nation couldn't hope for anything more.

Wembanyama is raising his level of play at the right time

Nobody expected San Antonio to be this good, but the boat has left the docks at this point. They're here, so they're going to try and win a championship. They'll need their best player at the top of his game if they have any shot of making that happen, so seeing him turn in elite performance after elite performance is extremely encouraging right now.

His health is going to be a concern until he proves he can make it through an intense playoff run. That's just his reality right now. If he didn't get injured tonight, that would have still been because it's one of the things everyone brings up whenever they discuss his future potential. "If he can stay healthy, blah blah blah." It's like clockwork for him. Who cares. He can't control narratives.

Spurs fans know that Wembanyama plays for a top-tier organization that will do everything in its power to ensure he has a nice, long career. His job is the other stuff, and he's living up to the hype. It was awesome seeing him raise his level when France needed him to in the Olympics a couple of years back, but now we get to see him do it in a silver and black uniform in the most taxing postseason in sports.

You can say what you want about how exciting the playoffs are no matter what kind of ball you're using, but teams go one-and-done in the NFL. Players generally only play one side of the field in Major League Baseball. Guys substitute on the fly like crazy in hockey.

These athletes are usually playing 36-38 minutes a night in the NBA Playoffs, and Victor Wembanyama wants all of the smoke. Former MVPs and future Hall of Famers alike stand in his way to greatness, so he's determined to take them down. He proves that every time they stand across from him.

That's when it's time to demonstrate that the only thing stopping him from accomplishing his goals is time.