Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images We sat down with 2K’s Head of Lifestyle & Content Marketing Ronnie Singh, aka “Ronnie 2K,” to chat Wembanyama and the Spurs. The San Antonio Spurs are off to a solid 3-3 start after a two-game winning streak. It hasn’t quite caught the attention of the broader basketball world, but the start is significant enough to suggest an improvement over the team’s 22-60 record a season ago. Broadly, basketball fans have an eye on San Antonio as a young team that could be on the rise in years to come. That’s in part thanks to the play of young phenom, Victor Wembanyama. After finishing second for Defensive Player of the Year as a rookie, some expect him to own the award over the next few seasons. 2K’s Head of Lifestyle & Content Marketing Ronnie Singh, aka “Ronnie 2K,” is one of those people. The NBA 2K25 simulation has Wembanyama winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2024-25 season. We sat down with Ronnie2K to understand why the 2K team is so bullish on Wemby and the Spurs. No easy buckets #2KSim has Victor Wembanyama winning Defensive Player of the Year this season pic.twitter.com/uR1EQsVOqx— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) October 15, 2024 NBA 2K’s model has Victor Wembanyama as the defensive player of the year, but he finished runner-up last year. Why did you select him this year over Rudy Gobert, who won the award last season? There are a lot of great defensive players in the league, but I think what’s crazy about Wemby is that in year one, he took three or four leaps even in the middle of the season, which is pretty crazy to think about. So we’re expecting another one. A full season of the defensive dominance he showed really in the second half of the season plays out well. So I think all that’s standing in his way is health, just like any other star player. We’re expecting big things. I would not be shocked for him to have a couple of 10-block games and average, 3 to 4 blocks a game. When we talked last year, this “create-a-player” hype had kind of been revolving around Wembanyama. Did the team have to make any tweaks to his model to balance him out this year? I don’t think so. We have to consider the next evolution of the game, which is Wemby’s body style. I think that naturally, we learned a lot and it’s gonna create some balance but I don’t, I don’t think we accounted for a different gameplay style just because of Wemby… not yet. If he continues to evolve and get better, it’s really scary. Again, if he takes 3 to 4 leaps this year, what is the limit on this guy? He’s probably the first athlete in years where you’re wondering, what is the limit? I just don’t remember asking that question for an NBA player in the past 20 years at least, which is pretty scary for the league to think about. Then how it reflects in the game, we don’t have a 7-foot-5 “My Player” build that can do everything. Those used to be called “Demigod” builds in our game. Don’t know how we’re gonna not be able to allow you to build exactly Wemby when there’s a realistic version of him in real life. That’s something we’re eventually going to have to account for if he continues to evolve. You don’t give out 99 overalls very often, is it realistic to think he could be one someday? I mean, it’s kind of unfathomable to think about but I am not going to put a cap on him. I think knowing him as well, he’s just smart and this is his lifeline. He really gets that part of it, which I can’t say for every phenom that’s coming to the league. He really has a limitless ability to develop. I would be surprised if he does not finish top five in the ratings by the end of the year if he continues to evolve. So, for him to start next year or the year after in the top three or maybe even eventually the number one (rated) guy seems reasonable. A 99 (overall) isn’t too far from there. We’ve got a 97 this year. It’s been a while since we’ve had a 99. Unanimous MVP Stephen Curry jumped up there for a little bit. But other than that, it’s been very hard but could Wemby do it? I’m not putting it past him. How are the Spurs in the game this year? They are fun to play with in quick games. You have Chris Paul who distributes just like anybody. Stephon Castle is really fun to play as. Harrison Barnes has always been a great 2K player and Wemby alone is fun to play as. I imagine they are only going to get better. Are there any other Spurs who have made leaps in the game? San Antonio has a promising rookie with Castle as well. I think it’s very possible as long as he gets the minutes, and he’s gonna need to support, you know, Chris Paul in his 20th year. He’s gonna learn from one of the best, so that’s another guy to kind of keep your eye out on. They are developing, they have to get Vassell back healthy, because he is another promising player for them. I’ve known Harrison for a long time. This is his 15th season and it’s a really great place for him to land because he’s not a number one or number two, but he’s an excellent number three. It should be fun to see how he fits into the system. One aspect of the game a lot of people like is the team building in the Association or Franchise move. What would you recommend someone trying to rebuild the Spurs should do? I think they’re gonna need a little bit more athleticism on the perimeter. There were conversations about supplementing Wemby with someone like Lauri Markkanen. That would have been perfect for them. Somebody like that and some athleticism are probably the two things that they’re looking for. But let’s be honest, the thing that they need most is time. Getting a couple of higher draft picks would certainly help that rate of their rebuild. Guys just need more time in their system. What are your expectations for the Spurs this year? I think the Spurs make the playoffs this year. The West is really difficult. Memphis is gonna be better this year, a couple of the teams that made the playoffs are gonna be there and maybe only the Clippers drop out from the contenders. Even the Warriors are better, so it’s gonna be a tough climb. But, I think that’s the next stage of development and I think they will get there. A first-round series with Wemby involved would be must-see TV.