The Deep 3 Podcast - Victor Wembanyama Might Become The Youngest NBA MVP Ever... | TD3 Clips

Episode Date: March 31, 2026

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It is only right that we start today's episode by talking about the newest potential MVP of the league. Victor Women Yama has gotten a surge in MVP discourse. NBA.com's updated MVP ladder has him in first place over Shea. The betting odds make it seem like kind of comes down whoever gets the number one seed. How do you guys feel about this rise and discourse of people wanting to make Wembe the youngest MVP ever? I'm not going to lie. They're roller skating on it. I don't like it.

They're rollers skating on it? Yeah. I don't like it. Like, slow train doing splits down the line. Wow. It's a lot. Soul train. It's a lot.

It's creative. They're in the bilateral movement? They're not in the lateral movement. It's, this is a, it's a bit much. Like, I, I have been on the train of, like, I think Wembe should be above Yokic in the discourse. I agree with that. I think that he has been more impactful than that.

But one of the things that people keep pointing to, obviously, like, the defense is amazing for Wembe and the offense is coming along. They're like, you know, the spurs in the last couple of, in the last like 25 Wembe games, they're 23 and 2 or 24, right? Whatever the number is. Guys, that's happening right now. Do you remember at the start of the season when the Thunder were 24 and 1? Yeah.

So you have identical stretches in the season of these like great long runs by these teams highlighted by these players. They cancel each other out. So now let's let's talk about the season at large. talk about everything that Shea has done where I do feel like, especially at this point, Shea has to like lose it. And there are certain moments in MVP years or just in seasons in general where the guy who had at the beginning of the year might have like a two weeks long.

We've seen that from Yolkits where he's had like three weeks, you know, before where it's just not up to par. And then you can say, okay, you allowed somebody else to get in. I don't feel like Shay has had a drop off to where he has allowed Wembe to get into the conversation more so than Wemby has risen above everybody else. Yes, exactly. I agree. I think this is shameless because not shameless on Wemby's end. There's none that he did wrong necessarily. I think it's just about how this conversation has developed over time. Going back to what you said, there's no drop off in Shades game at all. And I'm like 110% on board for having Wembe specifically

number two. Yokic, yeah, he dropped off. Yeah, like he over the last like, I don't know, two weeks or so, his three percentage down the fucking drain. I think you should like 90%. And also like the Denver Nuggets overall sinking overall, but they have not been a good product to watch over the last 30 or so games. So that's fair and that's fine. But in order to see like Wembe leap over Shay, I feel like nothing's changed substantially since the start of the year at all. Like there's been no new development in his game at all. There's he hasn't like overcame the stuff offensively that's been holding him back from people from people outright calling him like the best player in the world. Still, to this day, I haven't heard.

heard anyone called Wemby the best player in the world. And you don't necessarily have to be the best player in the world to win an MVP at all. But more so those conversations are leaned towards like Yolk it just has been for the most part. And now Shays, it feels like Shay overawes overcame that and he's viewed as that. And I don't even think anyone's called Whemey that just yet. So it's forced. Y'all are Hayden? I don't think I'm Hayden. We're not. He's the MVP. I think he will win MVP. I don't think the actual voters are going to do enough to go towards a wimby side that I think Shea has it

solidified he will be the MVP. I don't think it's ridiculous to suggest it's Victor Voman Yama. If the whole season we're saying if you were saying he can be second, he can get this, I don't know, like sneaky playoff, sneaky MVP push, if they get the one seed, he'll have this sneaky second argument, all this stuff, kind of dancing

around it by adding modifiers that he can be second place or just behind the favorite or whatever other verbiage you've seen people use. That means he's in striking a sense of being the MVP. He's taken a little legitimate leap in the second half of the season offensively. He is much better over the last 20 games offensively as a score than he was to start the year

when things out if he have to a hot start. He truly is bending the game in a defensive way that we've never seen before, which, you know, was well talked about. He's completely good enough offensively, has completely enough impact. The on-off numbers all suggested it. The advanced data all suggests it. It's not in the same way as the guards that dominate the league, but he is one the most impactful offensive players in the league.

When I say most impactful, I mean top 10 to 12, whatever. And defense, he is so, far ahead of everybody else that he bends the game in the same way Yokish does offensively, Luka does offensively, in a way that I know we don't normally give MVP consideration to like the best defenders. He's different. He's better than the best defenders of the past decade while being way more offensively suited than the other guys are.

I think he has a legitimate case that if you tell me you are a voter with a real award vote, if you're Kendrick Perkins and you tell me you want to vote Wemby, I don't think that's outlandish. If you, if you vote Wembe, MVP, I think that, I think one, and if you, if you feel this way, cool, Bob, I need you to stand on it moving forward. If you vote him MVP, you are stamping that right now

in this moment he's the best player in the world. And do you think that's a crazy opinion to hold? I think maybe I don't agree right now. I put him third or whatever. I don't think it's crazy to feel the way at all. I would say for a majority of people knowing how a majority of the people in the media operate

and knowing the standards and the checkpoints that people normally require of people, I would say that for a majority of the voters saying that and giving one be the vote would be different from what they've done previously. I see what you're saying and I understand that.

It is different because of many factors. And he's different. And he is not normal precisely. He's different. But I also think, again, it's not like Shay has even stayed the same from where he was last year. She has also leveled up.

He's also gotten better. And when you look at, when you look at what he's done from a, from a totality of a, of a season where obviously Wembe's case is primarily driven by what he's done in the second half of the year. Not just though. Primarily, that's the, that's the first driving force. He's obviously been like good the entire year. But the, a lot of, a lot of the points that people are making are, are mainly from the second half of the year. And so I'm just going based off of like what the arguments are. They've been the two seed all year.

So I know your point he's gotten better offensively. I wouldn't put it that way at all. That makes it sound like he's having this like Luca type run where he gets substantially better the last three weeks. It's not that. Well, I think, I think a little bit, yes, because he did deal with the cap injury early on in the season and we saw him be on even more of a minute's restriction early on. So I think in terms of seeing like the, in terms of seeing Wembe in like his full game,

a majority of that has come in the second half of the year as opposed to the first half. Correct. You're right. He dealt with that in the minutes. And that's been a big talking point on Twitter of all the fans of all the guards coming together to slander him, saying, like Joel says here, when is the last time a player won an MVP coming off the bench or 50% of the season? And they're saying he has less minutes played for the entirety of the season than LeBron James does, who is not available to win awards because he didn't play 65 games because he has not been on a minute restriction all year and doesn't average 30 minutes for game, average 29, which would be the lowest of any MVP ever. I understand all that.

And if that's what you hold against him and why you can't win him, MVP because he doesn't play enough minutes. Okay. That means you're probably a games played type of guy and it means a lot to you. I am not. I don't care that much because he is the most impactful player in the NBA next to Shea

and Yokic. All those guys are bunched up at the top of all the impact metrics when he plays. I don't think it disqualifies him because the team he elects to play him in a certain way that gets the most out of him. Yonis won an MVP with 30.7 minutes per game for similar reasons. Bud played him in short bursts because they know

if they let him go a million miles prior on both sides of the court and take a rest, come back on the court, play a million miles per hour on both sides of the court again, that'll get the most out of him rather than him playing 36 minutes and being tired and not able to get the full effort. Part of it is low management because of injury. Part of it is that too for Wembe,

that he truly is maximized in this way that that's not inherently bad to me when he's on those court for those minutes, he's incredibly impactful more than anybody else. If he played 36 minutes a night, he'd be unanimous MVP, by the way he's playing right now. He's not, so now he's in the convo that already kind of takes in some value of those minutes, I think.

Yeah, I don't know. I understand and if he did get those opportunities, I'm not going to sit here and say he wouldn't be unanimous MVP. His numbers as is offensively are like stunning. But over the last 15 games or 20 games or so, I feel like that's even overblown because I'm looking at his numbers right now. He's averaging like the same 23, 24, 12 rebounds for assists shooting like 33% from the field or from 3.1 line and 48 from the field.

Like I'm sure things do feel different. I will say on the court and the process just feels smoother. But overall, like that leak. at least statistically, authentively, again, only offensively has not been there as much as it should be to warrant granting him a case over someone like Shea.

That's not just talking about she overall. It's not about his putting the ball in the basket, though. Exactly, I agree. The impact he has, the gravity he has as a role man, is truly crazy. The team is really ramping up because of that. Like, everything comes together because of him. And like I saw people doing the Minutes thing,

and I forgot who pointed it out. Somebody on Twitter, yes, he's nowhere close minutes. wise to the top guys, he's second in the entire NBA in total plus minus, which isn't per game. It's total plus minus in your minutes, which total plus minus isn't some stat that we're going to point to for anything meaningful in MVP argument. But when you're looking at minutes and saying he doesn't play enough, that's a good stat to show that like, it doesn't matter. He's still producing more than everybody besides Shea in those minutes.

That means something to me. That kind of nullifies the minutes played argument to me. It does. And that's why he's second. Like he's better. You know, he's better than everybody. I think than everybody outside of Shay this year. and like shea has sat multiple

fourth quarters as well and he's had some in the state taken off of his load. I think you look at what Shea has done as a clutch player this year and he's gonna win you know, clutch player of the year because even if you, like if you go to NBA.com

and you look at the numbers like there's a group of people that are kind of close in terms of total points in clutch. And then there's somebody way above and that's Shay. Yeah. And so I think that for a regular season stuff games, I think games played, minutes played, all that stuff.

I think it does come into account a little bit more just because every single night being available for your team and being there for a team that also has gone through injuries upon injuries upon injuries. Yeah. And this is two straight years that like we're going to look up and the Thunder are going to have the number one seed. And this is two straight years that they're going to do that with having holes in their roster for weeks at a time because one of their core members is.

out and one of the main constant and the constant for that team is Shay is Shane in his scoring and the number that you always point out about his efficiency and his his his true shooting percentage and how like we only we only get this from you know all time seasons and from big man he's shooting that as a as a guard what Shay's doing and the level that he's gotten to this year I do think that it separates him even for if you think that's the slightest margin because you want to put one be at two or you think that he can't be one that's fine I think ultimately though She has not done anything

except for get better and we were having conversations a week ago about is he the best player in the world I think he should get the MVP I agree yeah if I'd vote I'll give it to him as well in some part this is

what happens every year when somebody's a clear fear for so long people get bored and want to give to somebody else and start a conversation I just think this is a little bit more worthy than past examples of that or like that's fair

that's fair I agree the really the only thing I'm saying is that like if you believe this and want to vote him it's not a wasted vote it's not silly it's not slandering she or just hate like I think he's a very worthy secondary candidate.

His case is very different and I value Shay and everything he's done to everything you said I agree with. Season some start, season to end, dealing with the injuries, he's the MVP. But I think the uniqueness of Wemby's case, the uniqueness of him as a defender, the uniqueness of him as a on-ball gravity type of player that can be a screen setter, a floor spacer, a slasher, all the things he does that are so unique. If you want to say that culmination of things gives him a unique MVP argument that others don't have, and maybe looks a little weird compared to past cases, I don't think he's doing too much at all. Yeah.

Yeah. I can agree to that. But also, I see someone like Shane. I see the uniqueness within his story as well. And going back to what you said, like, just not having a consistent, complete roster throughout the entire year, Lou Dort been having injuries, Caruso been in and out. Of course, Isaiah Hardinstein's continuously in and out. His second best player in Zadup has continuously been trying to find his way through and through.

They literally had to make an in-season trade because their shooting was surprised. surprise in fucking hell but nonetheless like she just continues he literally gets better off of his MVP season last year and his more efficient player all around the field bro that just doesn't make any sense with all the changes that's been happening around him he just remains consistent i think he's MVP yeah i agree and uh but i do think wimby's definitely second and obviously yokey fans hate that lucca fans hate that they're gaining up to point to the minutes thing as the main thing people are mad people people people people smell the blood in the water they smell the wimby area here kind of mad their faves are getting passed up i think

what's jarring is how fast it's happened and how like the spurs overall are like a legitimate legitimate consider i feel like that's for me personally i can't speak to any other else but for me personally that's been like the more shocking thing yeah i'm i'm mad how about this was a shocking is it for me look at that technique technique technique can a technique be talking break break this down for us please you see his hands he has big hands all right man I'll say that's That's enough Listen, right

It's a real value It is unique The way he's coming up so fast And people were like You guys are ready to crown this guy He hasn't done anything in the playoffs And so forth Which to some degree I understand

If he does go out sad He will get slanted for it That comes to the territory Of being hyped up so fast It's not exactly surprising That he has an unprecedented rise After being an unprecedented prospect An unprecedented rookie

Unprecedented second year player Now he's an unprecedented second year I mean third year kind of stands to reason Yeah, that's Yeah, that's

Yeah, that's tripping man Oh what? Sometimes you do gotta bounce on it Sometimes you gotta look like Tiana Trump That's my MVP You know what fair Is my MVP

You know what You've never told me Anything about you Other than the fact That you are Kinky Souls So you're telling me That you are

Who I think you are So I can't even be mad at you For saying that That's not ridiculous to say That's not ridiculous It's not ridiculous To say that Sometimes

You gotta bounce You gotta prop up The stars of the future. You know what I'm saying? And you've made that clear from day one of you on this show, so I can't not get mad at you right now. I can't even laugh at you right now. No.

Because you are true to self. I am. Not everybody can say that. I really do have one B-P. I really do bounce on it. I'm not lying. Yeah, I look like Tiana Trump sometimes. This is a basketball show, man.

If you try to get it, please. He's one of the best players in the world. We can stop saying the, like, oh, soon, maybe next. year he's like top five whatever earlier in the season i said when we're doing our predictions episode i made some like half harder prediction where we're just talking where i'm like i'm feeling a envy a wendy type run where we say definitively he's the best player in the world after this postseason we're right on track for that i i don't feel like again but that's different MVP odds

i understand yeah and even anything that anybody's saying about best in the world i'm not shocked by any of it we were saying this the day he walked in we've been we've been expecting before he Locked in. Yes, we've been expecting this. So the rise or anything or the thing of saying that he's the best in the world, that's not crazy. When you look at the NBA as a whole, the craziest part about it is, hey, there's another guy who has just leaped everybody. Like, Yokic is averaging, Yokic on any given night is going to go out onto the court and he's going to get you 3015 and 9. 3015 and 9 and do it all the time.

And we're going to be like, yeah, you're actually getting passed up right now. That's crazy. There's actually another guy who every single night he's going to get minimum. The floor is 20 points. He's going to do that. He's going to be as efficient as possible. He's going to go win a title with the team that not only once again is dealing with all these injuries, just a broke offense.

They won a championship last year because of their defense because they got timely offensive production. But that was the Achilles heel for the Thunder last year. And it's the same thing this year where every single time we look at their team and we look at the roster and the people that they're putting out onto the floor, like, you had just like a little bit more offensive juice. That's why you ask for things from Chet Hongrenner of like, can you put the ball on the floor a little bit more?

That's why the A.J. Mitchell Ascension has been so key for them. You ask Case and Wallace, can you do a little bit more off the dribble? Can you do a little bit more attack your clothes out? all of this stuff spo watching bams trying guard wemby after all that d p oi talking chatting about with the game it's a great clue

you have all of this stuff that is going on with the thunder and shaves at the center of everything and I just I don't think that he has done anything to to drop in standings at all yeah I agree it's the fourth video we've made

the past two years being like Wemby's here Wembe's here Wembe's here we're getting it last year we said oh damn Wemby the top 10 play beginning of this season after the first three games. You said, damn, maybe he's a top five player.

Now here we are. Winby's a top what player. Maybe one. People are starting to feel that way and it's not ridiculous. Let's have this conversation after June. Yeah. Like once the playoffs are fine and we've said this before. Not that any of us, I don't think anybody in the world unless you like super, super

hate Wembe and the Spurs. I don't think anybody is thinking, oh yeah, he's definitely going to flop. He's going to fail. No, we think that he's going to go in. and do all the stuff that he's been doing and change playoff series and leave the Spurs moving forward, that's fine.

We just need to see it. It just has to be done. It's a prerequisite. Yep. And you just have to complete it. You're going to get an A plus in the class anyways. You just have to get the credit.

Yeah, I agree. Kind of feels like only teams that have a chance in the finals now. Thunder, Spurs, Seltics. I agree. Yes. I hate it so much,

so. It's really a three-team race to me. Dude, you know what I feel like the worst about right now? Fuck now. Hell no. What am I supposed to tell my son? They're going to knock Boston out and you're going to be sad.

Maybe. Those West teams, I think are giving them foot. Yeah. I'm going to need to see it again. I ain't going on. In whole. Bro, what am I supposed to tell my son like 30 years from now that, yeah, an NBA history, you had this guy, average like 30, 12 and 10,

shoot like 40% from 3, got no MVPs in both of those years? That just feels so. Are you talking about Kuwait? No, Yokin. 3012 and 10. Both of them. The fact that they're both not going to VPs with the numbers they had. Jailon Johnson.

What the fuck? I thought you were just naming numbers. Jalen, 30, third? I can't, I can. Listen, man, race is going to be going all year long, bro. These two seasons are going to be the best offensive seasons of all time that not win MVP for sure. Is Luca going to be the best player and everyone in MVP?

Wemier is here. Maybe, bro. Luca, I think he's going to be the best player of all time to never win an MVP. Well, that's crazy. Is he third on y'all's ballot right now? Would he third? Are we okay?

Sure. whatever you don't care about it I don't care it all about going down it's like yeah third is like all right him after two yeah yeah sure why not I mean listen if you are third you can you can call that your MVP year true if you have nothing else more if you like ball charge oh you guys are it matters it matters for me it's whoever whoever solidifies that third seed yeah you can call him third for hanging you I don't care who's the best player never have an MVP right now de Wade right now I think because I'm like that's that's that's possible you can take that chain Yeah, 09D Wade

Yeah, I guess it's a good example Or just like for a career Like the best player all time to never win one So all the top 10 players have one All the top 15 players Probably the top 20 players have one Yeah, so it's probably around that like 25 range Probably Deweighed

Man I think Luke was probably gonna be a top 25 player Yeah I had worse he'll be top 30 He's gonna be where Jim Hardin is at worst I think Which is like people I think People I think will rank him around 30 35 Poor guy What the fuck is gonna have to do to him

MVP for average 40. I don't know. Get a one seed. Yeah. Probably. Get a one seed. That's it.

You have a full season of being the best team in the conference. Because clearly stats ain't it. Yeah. We know that. In the post James Hardin, you can blame Jim's Hardin.

In the post James Hardin area, people are done awarding heliocentric stats that don't necessarily translate to the degree your peers do as one seeds or whatever. People are done with 30, 10, and 10 being automatic MVP.

You got to have some wins with it. I love that old tweet that was like, we call it heliocentric now miss when we just called them ballhongs you know what yeah all right

yeah the lake will come on next year and they're the one seed wire at least in the conversation for the one seed like the spurs are now and maybe they get within a game of it but they're neck in neck for a whole season that's what luca has to do

he's never done that before oh that's crazy he ain't getting that shit man I don't know if maybe LeBron comes back from the middle of next year and his farewell tour because Bronny's playing now and we go out

get Isaiah Hardenstein and uh, Payton Watson. You're a good writer, man. I know. You got skills. You're paying works. Payton Watson's coming. They got a salary. Don't Cam Johnson to pay him.

So maybe we got Cam Johnson for free instead of Payton Watson. LeBron for the minimum. Another defender. Tari Easton is playing like shit. We can snag him for 25 million a year. Say we can fix him. Wow. That's actually, I think, very much happen.

That part. Tar yeah. He's got a value in the gutter. Yeah. Give you Tar East and Cam Johnson, LeBron James. That's it, man. Year of three, Ronnie is Pat Bev contributing? We can get a one seed.

Ronnie looking nice, man. I ain't going on. I've never lost me.