SAN ANTONIO, TX - OCTOBER 14: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs smiles before the game against the Phoenix Suns on October 14, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images Mateo Mayorga Sun, October 18, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every year there's an abundance of lists that come out about the NBA's players, coaches and teams, and none matter more than the general manager survey released before the season. The latest one was published on Thursday, and according to most top executives, Victor Wembanyama is primed to have one of the greatest seasons of all time in 2026-27. He got the most votes to win Defensive player of the Year as well the majority for the MVP crown, and the San Antonio Spurs are the favorite to win the title.
Holy moly, such a season hasn't been logged since the great Hakeem Olajuwon in 1993-94. Keep in mind that the NBA's DPOY award started in the 1982-83 season, yet even if it existed earlier, the only bigs who could have arguably won it, earned the MVP and led a team to the chip were Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Yet don't forget that Michael Jordan claimed both awards in 1987-88, but his team lost in the Eastern Conference Finals. LeBron James would have been the first to accomplish this feat since Olajuwon, but he got robbed of the DPOY in 2012-13.
Olajuwon, who played three years at school and didn't simultaneously win both awards until he was 31, was already on a tear when he turned 23. That was in his second season and at that age had already ascended into one of the most devastating players in NBA history. He was skinnier then, but an athletic marvel who could down turnaround jumpers with ease and soar through the lane. He wanted the big moment, and in Mirin Fader's biography about him, there is a great line where he defended himself against complaining teammates for taking a shot with multiple defenders on him because he was the one paid to take that shot.
Wembanyama is only entering his fourth season and will turn 23 on Jan. 4. He has gotten closer to his grown man body every year and like the young Olajuwon, needs to be defended with all five players plus is a factor in fourth quarters, as he averaged 6.3 points in those periods during the playoffs.
At this point, the only heavyweight on his level is Nikola Jokić, yet most GMs picked him over Wemby as the best center. That won't be for long if he keeps improving at rapid speed and one example of how he has is the speed and timing of his pick-and-roll defense from his rookie year in 2023-24 until now. He impacts the game in more ways, so when his playmaking catches up to the Joker, he'll jump to his own tier. He may never turn into the wow-passer Jokić is, but Wembanyama has the talent to average a triple-double, too.
In 2026-27, the race for the MVP should come down to Wemby, Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jokić, assuming they stay healthy, because they have a chance to win enough and put up incredible numbers. Wemby being the best in the league at guarding two players at once and creating a big intimidation factor with his shot blocking, will give him an edge over the field, while double-dipping for the other award.
Notably, only three of the last 10 GM polls have correctly predicted who would win the MVP award. Three of the last 10 polls also predicted the correct champion, but two of those were very easy to call since they were the Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors. Still, lots of those teams that were picked to win and didn't were not as deep as the current Spurs. Don't be surprised if Dylan Harper, who most GMs picked to have a breakout season, produces like an All-Star off the bench because he was already a major player to end last postseason.
Next season, the Spurs will have a target on their backs, but it won't matter much because they have good coaching and a surplus of motivated talent spearheaded by Wemby. Most GMs don't always get it right, but they believe he's going to take over the league like only the most special have, so maybe opposing teams should take the survey as a bad omen.
Source: Sports
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