Bill Simmons plants his flag amid heated MVP race: ‘Best player I’ve seen all season’

Story by

Story by
Bill Simmons plants his flag amid heated MVP race: ‘Best player I’ve seen all season’

Matty Breisch, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Wed, Mar 18, 2026 ·

3 min read

About Our Ads

Bill Simmons plants his flag amid heated MVP race: 'Best player I've seen all season' appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

When it comes to the 2026 NBA MVP award , it's widely expected to be a three-dog race, with reigning title holder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander duking it out with fellow former MVP Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama , the former first overall pick from France who is turning in an all-time great season for the San Antonio Spurs .

Some like SGA. Others appreciate "The Joker." But for The Ringer founder Bill Simmons on his namesake podcast, there is only one answer : Wemby.

"Wimby is the best player I've seen all season. And I've seen all the players. SGA is going to win the MVP. SGA looks like he's veering into this Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant area. I think it's already happened. He has a chance to, he's going to win MVP. His chance to be finals MVP two years in a row," Simmons said.

"I cannot believe how good Wimby is. How hard he plays and how much he affects both ends of the floor, but especially the defense. We were just counting all the shots he changes, alters, or makes the guy change his mind. And it was almost 30. He never lets up. He's just going hard the entire time. And the impact that he has on a game, I just thought it was the most impactful thing I've seen. I've seen a great Jokic game this year. I saw a great SGA game this year. I just think he's the most impactful. I don't think that means he's going to win MVP, but it did change how I'm feeling about the playoffs and whether San Antonio can really stick it to OKC and everybody else."

On paper, it's hard to argue with Simmons' take. While SGA and Jokic are great, Wembanyama has produced on both sides of the court in a way few other players in NBA history can match. He's averaging 24.3 points per game, sure, a mark made all the more impressive considering his 50.6/36.1/81.0 shooting split , but for the third year in a row, "The Alien" is leading the association in blocks while averaging at least 11 rebounds and a steal in under 30 minutes of action per game.

Will Wembanyama actually bring him the award later this year? That largely depends on whether he remains eligible for the award down the stretch, but if he does, voters like Simmons will continue to weigh his efforts against his peers and wonder who really is the best player in the NBA this season.

Mobilize your Website

View Site in Mobile | Classic

Share by: