Victor Wembanyama is putting together a season that has pushed him into the center of the NBA’s biggest conversations with his career-high 24.3-point-per-night outings.
From Defensive Player of the Year buzz to early MVP chatter, the San Antonio Spurs star is checking nearly every box.
But not everyone is ready to call him the best player in the world just yet. Sportscaster Nick Wright pointed to one specific gap in Wembanyama’s game, sparking a debate about what still separates him from that top spot.
Nick Wright Says Victor Wembanyama Must Score 30 Points Consistently to Be Best in the World
The discussion unfolded during a segment on “First Things First,” where Wright and commentator Chris Broussard debated Wembanyama’s offensive profile, with Wright questioning whether the Spurs star can currently be considered the best player in the world.
“I just don’t think Wemby can be, right now, the best player in the world,” Wright said.
Chris Broussard challenged that view.
“What can’t Wemby do offensively?”
Wright’s answer was specific.
“Consistently score 30 points.”
Broussard pushed back, noting that Wembanyama’s role may not require that level of scoring every night.
“His team doesn’t ask him to do that. That doesn’t mean he couldn’t.”
The exchange highlights the central argument. Wembanyama’s talent is not in question, but the expectation for the league’s top player often includes nightly scoring efficiency.
A similar concern was raised earlier by veteran analyst Skip Bayless on the “Gil’s Arena” podcast, who pointed to inconsistency as a reason Wembanyama is not yet the MVP favorite.
“When he [Wembanyama] decides before a game, as he did in four of the five Thunder games, when he decides he is going to play tonight, he plays his a** off. But there are many games along the trail where I don’t know what he is doing…”
Bayless contrasted that with the consistency of Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“SGA plays every dribble of every night. It’s not like Russell Westbrook hard, it’s not shocking to your eye, but he’s playing at the same speed every dribble every night.”
That comparison reinforces the same theme raised by Wright. The gap is not ability, but consistency at an elite level that pushes Wembanyama down in the best-player-in-the-world conversation.
Despite those critiques, Wembanyama’s season remains one of the strongest in the league. He is averaging 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, and a league-leading three blocks per game while shooting 50.4% from the field. The French phenom also leads the Spurs in both scoring and rebounds, anchoring their system on both ends.
The Spurs, meanwhile, have been one of the most balanced teams in the league, ranking fourth in offensive rating (119.0), third in defensive rating (111.4), and third in net rating (7.6). The Spurs hold a 44-13 record with Wembanyama on the roster this year and have climbed back into contention after several losing seasons.
His recent form adds to the case that Wembanyama is one of the best players in the NBA right now, if not in the world. In March, he has scored 20 or more points in 10 of 12 games, including four 30-plus-point performances, while the Spurs have gone 11-1 during that stretch.
Wembanyama has also embraced the expectations of being in the MVP conversations and sitting in the ranks of elite basketball players in the world.
“I have thought about it. I think right now, there is a debate. There should be, even though I think I should lead the race. I’m trying to make sure that at the end of the season, there’s no debate,” Wembanyama said after the Spurs beat the Miami Heat 136-111 on March 23.
Among the rising stars of the NBA right now, Gilgeous-Alexander continues to set the standard with his record-breaking 20-plus-point-per-game consistency, while Luka Dončić’s league-leading 33.4-point-per-game scoring output keeps him firmly in the best-player conversation.
That context is what frames Wright’s argument. Wembanyama is already one of the most impactful players in the league. But when it comes to being called the best in the world, the expectation shifts to consistency, and players like SGA, Dončić, and Nikola Jokic seem to stand ahead of the French big man.
