The San Antonio Spurs have not only clinched their first winning season since 2018-19, but are also trending toward making the playoffs for the first time since that year. The Spurs already matched the winning total from that same campaign with 48 wins and still have 16 regular-season games left to play. Considering they won a combined 56 games in the past two seasons — Victor Wembanyama‘s first two in the league — they could easily match that number with the way they are currently winning.
Much of the credit goes to San Antonio’s talented roster led by its young core: Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie and Dylan Harper, alongside veterans De’Aaron Fox — still just 28 — and Harrison Barnes. Among that group, however, Wembanyama has elevated his game the most, not only statistically but also as a leader.
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The French star is the heavy favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year and currently sits at No. 2 on the latest Kia MVP ladder. With his continued physical growth, on-court development, and increasing maturity, the league could be only a couple of years away from a full Wembanyama takeover.
Parish warns the NBA
That’s why it did not come as a surprise when former Boston Celtics center Robert Parish said during an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Thursday that the NBA may eventually need to adjust its rules to keep Wembanyama from dominating the league. Parish noted that given Wembanyama’s size and the rapid pace of his development, opponents may soon find it nearly impossible to stop him.​
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“He may be one of those players where they have to change the game for, rewrite the rules of the game,” said Parish. “If he continues to develop on the trajectory that he’s on right now, they’re gonna have to change the game because he’s pretty much unguardable right now. He can get pretty much any shot he wants.”
Parish did not specify which rule changes he believes the NBA should consider to maintain competitive balance. However, with Wembanyama’s rapid development, the sky seems to be the limit. It’s one thing for a young star to improve each season gradually, but the pace at which Wembanyama continues to expand his skill set and overall impact on the game is becoming scary for the rest of the league.
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​Wemby’s growth
Wembanyama’s field-goal percentage this season (50.6 percent) is the best of his three-year NBA career, as is his 36.0 percent from the 3-point line. He is also taking three fewer 3-pointers than last season, which means he is starting to assert his height and taking shots closer to the basket, where he is, as Parish said, unstoppable.
Wembanyama’s current offensive rating of 120 and defensive rating of 102 are also the best in his career. We can go on, but the point is that his numbers in key statistical categories are rising, which means trouble for the other 29 teams.
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Looking at his skill set, though, it’s hard to think of a rule change that would stop him from dominating. Perhaps raising the rim to 12 feet may make things a little harder for him.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.