Oct 14, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) looks up the court in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has already reached big heights in his young NBA career. As the first overall pick in 2023, he has more than lived up to the hype, demonstrating a level of greatness on both ends of the floor that has put the Spurs back in the title picture.
But just how high is his ceiling? While some say it’s still too early to say, Warriors veteran (and four-time NBA champion) Draymond Green believes he’s on track for a historic season. Not only does he have Victor winning MVP, but the young superstar is also his pick for Defensive Player of the Year.
“I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s Wemby,” said Green on his podcast. “With his impact defensively and his impact offensively, the only thing that can stop him from MVP this year is injury. Other than that, I think he wins MVP… I think he takes home both (MVP and DPOY) of them this year. Cause there was something brewing towards the end of last year, where he climbed fast. So, people won’t forget that.”
Serving as a defensive anchor for over a decade in San Francisco, Draymond Green knows more than most about what makes a great defender/MVP candidate. He won the Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and watched his co-star Stephen Curry win back-to-back MVPs in 2015 and 2016. So when Draymond says that Wemby can win both this year, it carries a little extra weight, especially since it’s such a rare feat.
The last player to win MVP and DPOY is Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2019-20, when he averaged 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game on 55.3% shooting for the Bucks. To date, he’s just one of three players in NBA history to win both awards in the same season, joining Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan.
For Wembanyama to join that list at just 22 years old would be an incredible accomplishment, but it’s entirely doable. At 7’4″ and 235 pounds, he towers over most defenders and can easily contest shots near the rim. His skill set at the position is unmatched, with an ability to score in various ways, including from three and off the dribble. Last season, he was voted the NBA’s youngest Defensive Player of the Year ever, averaging 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steal, and 3.1 blocks per game on 51.2% shooting from the field. He also finished third in MVP voting, right behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
Given that Jokic almost won MVP and DPOY last season, it is not inconceivable that he will pull it off in 2026-27, especially with the added experience he gained from his run to the NBA Finals. The truth is, if Victor stays healthy, we can only expect him to get better this season, and that means he will surely add more accolades to his NBA trophy case. Of course, the only one he cares about is the Larry O’Brien trophy, and that’s why he has the Spurs especially focused and locked in on making the most of this season.