The San Antonio Spurs are on a roll right now. They are among the top teams in the league with a 55-18 record this season, and Victor Wembanyama deserves a lot of the credit for it. They are currently riding a seven-game winning streak, and the buzz around Wembanyama as a legitimate MVP candidate has only gotten louder.
But not everyone is buying into it fully. Analyst Skip Bayless recently had something to say about the young Frenchman, and it wasn’t exactly a compliment.
Skip Bayless Criticizes Victor Wembanyama’s MVP Campaign
In a recent episode of the “Gil’s Arena” podcast, Bayless argued that Wembanyama is starting to believe his own hype a little too early. In his view, the 22-year-old center is acting as if he has already conquered the NBA, when in reality, there is still a lot left to prove.
“This young man to me because he has been campaigning several times for several weeks. Is getting dangerously full of himself a little prematurely. That he’s starting to believe he is the Alien, that he does already own this league.”
“I remind everybody he still hasn’t played one single playoff game in his life, not one. I would remind everybody that if you look at his regular-season won-loss record in three years of pro basketball, it’s 84-90,” Bayless said during the podcast.
Skip Bayless on Victor Wembanyama saying he should be MVP:
“This young man to me because he has been campaigning several times for several weeks. Is getting dangerously full of himself a little prematurely. That he’s starting to believe he is the Alien, that he does already own… pic.twitter.com/DcgElxarOJ
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 25, 2026
Bayless made these remarks just two days after Wembanyama himself publicly laid out three reasons why he thinks he deserves the MVP this season. Wembanyama’s case was straightforward. He said that defense is a part of the MVP conversation that people often overlook, and that he considers himself the most impactful defensive player in the entire league right now.
He also pointed to the Spurs’ regular-season dominance over the Oklahoma City Thunder, having beaten them four out of five times this year. Finally, he argued that offense isn’t just about scoring, suggesting his all-around contribution matters more than raw point totals.
Bayless, however, wasn’t convinced. He went after a specific part of Wembanyama’s game that he feels has quietly taken a step back this season. While Wembanyama still tops the league in blocks, Bayless pointed out that his presence as a shot-deterrent near the basket hasn’t been as good as it was a year ago.
Last season, Wembanyama was putting up 3.8 blocks per game. This year, that number has come down to 3.1.
Yes, 3.1 blocks a game still leads the NBA by a wide margin, but the drop of nearly a full block per game is noticeable. It gives Bayless some ground to stand on when he says the “Alien” isn’t quite the same immovable defensive force he was during his sophomore year.
On top of that, Bayless made it clear who he thinks should win the MVP this season. He has his eyes on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who took home the award last season as well.
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“He (Wemby) will win defensive player of the year. Run away. But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is going to win Most Valuable Player. Run away,” Bayless added during the podcast.
Wembanyama is clearly one of the most talented players in the league. But Bayless’ point is simple, which is that you don’t count your trophies before you’ve won them.
