Nov 6, 2026 · 1h 37m
Wembanyama’s dominance raises the NBA’s biggest question
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The episode tests whether Victor Wembanyama has already become the league’s best player while measuring what his emergence means for San Antonio and the Western Conference.
- 1Victor Wembanyama’s 52-point, 24-rebound, eight-block performance strengthens the case that he already controls both ends of the game.
- 2Portland’s hot start rests on chemistry, spacing, and depth, but injuries and Damian Lillard’s recovery complicate its ceiling.
- 3Oklahoma City keeps surviving injuries, while Cleveland and Denver expose different problems of identity, aging, and roster construction.
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The hosts dissect Victor Wembanyama’s 52-point, 24-rebound, eight-block performance and debate whether it already makes him the NBA’s best player.
The brief
Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and J. Kyle Mann open with Victor Wembanyama’s 52-point, 24-rebound, eight-block performance—and ask whether the league’s best player debate has already changed.
Wembanyama’s balance, rim pressure, defensive reach, and simplified approach make his dominance feel less like a hot streak than a new standard for San Antonio.
The Spurs still face lineup and backup-center questions, while Cooper Flagg’s resilient, versatile game offers Dallas a possible answer to defenses that remove his first option.
Portland’s 6–1 start comes from Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija’s chemistry, improved spacing, and Donovan Clingan’s unexpected shooting and playmaking—but injuries test the formula.
The conversation widens to Oklahoma City’s injury-proof depth, Cleveland’s missing identity, and Nikola Jokić’s warning that modern basketball is making post play harder.
Denver remains dangerous in a playoff series, but Jokić’s reduced dominance, Aaron Gordon’s decline, and an aging core leave the Nuggets below the West’s clearest elite.
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