Stephen A. Needs a Reality Check: Wemby's Not Winning Anything This Year

Look, I get it. Stephen A. Smith is paid to be hyperbolic. He’s paid to scream takes that make you spill your coffee. But his recent pronouncement that Victor Wembanyama can "win it all this year" with the San Antonio Spurs? That’s not hot take; that’s just detached from reality. We’re talking about a Spurs team that's currently 14th in the Western Conference with a 19-59 record as of April 5th. That's not a playoff team, let alone a championship contender.

Thing is, Wemby is special. We all see it. He's averaging 21.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, and an insane 3.6 blocks per game in his rookie season. He dropped 40 points and 20 rebounds against the Knicks on March 29th, a stat line not seen since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000. And his 5x5 game against the Lakers in February – 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals, 5 blocks – was truly historic, the first since Jusuf Nurkic in 2019 and only the 15th ever. He's a generational talent, no argument there. But even Michael Jordan didn't win a title in his rookie year. LeBron James didn't win one until his ninth season.

**The Road Ahead for San Antonio**

This isn't about Wemby's talent; it's about the team around him. The Spurs are young. Very young. Keldon Johnson is a decent scorer, but he's not a secondary star. Devin Vassell shows flashes, but he's still inconsistent. Jeremy Sochan, for all his defensive potential, is shooting under 44% from the field. They rank 26th in the league in offensive rating and 24th in defensive rating. Those are not the numbers of a team on the cusp of anything more than another high draft pick.

And frankly, the Western Conference is a bloodbath. You’ve got Nikola Jokic and the defending champion Nuggets. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading a surprisingly dominant OKC Thunder squad. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving finally clicking in Dallas. The Clippers, even with their injury woes, have Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. The talent pool is deep, experienced, and battle-tested. Throwing a rookie, no matter how superhuman, into that mix and expecting him to carry a 19-win team to a championship is a fantasy. It trivializes just how hard it is to win an NBA title.

Real talk: what Wemby is doing this year, carrying this particular Spurs team to even a handful of competitive games, is a testament to his sheer ability. He's putting up numbers and highlights that feel like they belong in a video game. But the jump from individual brilliance on a bad team to leading a championship contender is enormous. It requires years of development, strategic free-agent acquisitions, and a bit of luck. Stephen A. is mistaking individual greatness for team success. It’s an easy mistake to make when you’re watching Wembanyama pull off some of the moves he does, but it’s still a mistake. The Spurs are building something special, no doubt. But it’s going to take more than one season.

Here’s my bold prediction: Wembanyama will win MVP within his first five seasons, but the Spurs don't even make the playoffs next year.