Tonight the Mavericks take on the San Antonio Spurs to open the season at 6:30 CT on TNT. A rivalry that dates back decades, there’s no love between two of Texas’ three NBA franchises, which have seen many epic clashes in the postseason. The Mavericks are coming off a Finals appearance and have a legitimate MVP contender Luka Doncicwhile Spurs are in the midst of a rebuild, although they have found their savior in the French striker/center Victor Wembanyama.

Although the two teams are on different trajectories for the 2024 season, in Wembanyama San Antonio is building on a unique player the likes of which the game has never seen – a 7-foot-5, fluid athlete who is the favorite to build The victory as a defensive player is already in his second year and he was voted winner of the year (and took second place in voting for the award as a rookie). This game relies on a variety of factors, including Wembanyama’s mobility-based rim protection. Without further ado, here is a breakdown of the Spurs’ lineup.

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A veteran starts as point guard Chris Paulwho arrived from the Golden State Warriors this offseason, a move that has a lot of potential for this roster. After Tre Jones And Jeremy Sochan After parting ways as primary starters for San Antonio last season, the Spurs finally have a true floor general, albeit one who is 39 years old and has undoubtedly lost a step. Still, Paul’s playmaking and vision will be a godsend for a player like the aforementioned Wembanyama; Little things like accurate entry passes will be extremely helpful in guiding the second-year sensation into a more efficient season and giving him an easier look.

The Spurs will likely go with it at shooting guard Julian Champagniealthough most of his representatives during his time with San Antonio were at small forward (68% of his minutes were reportedly spent on the wing Basketball reference). This could be a move to make up for the size disadvantage, considering Luka Doncic’s 6’3″ frame, but also because he’s a starter Devin VassellSpurs’ second-leading scorer in the 2023/24 season, is out with a stress fracture in his foot that will keep him sidelined for a further two weeks to a month. Champagnie posted 6.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 74 games last year.

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Small striker Harrison Barneswho was acquired from San Antonio as part of the three-team deal DeMar DeRozan to the Kings, will start alongside Champagnie. Barnes averaged 12.2 points per game last season for the Sacramento Kings as part of their emerging squad and will be another solid veteran for the Spurs’ young squad. With a career 38% three-point shooting rate, he will open up some depth on the perimeter for a team that shot 34.7% from distance last season and desperately needed floor spacing.

The power forward spot will be filled by Jeremy Sochan, a big-time playmaker who, as mentioned, was the point guard for the Spurs last season. A mobile athlete and very good defender, Sochan could be an option to guard Luka Doncic if the Spurs feel Wembanyama’s rim protection is strong enough without another big player. Sochan averaged 11.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists for San Antonio last season and is a big part of what they do on both sides of the ball.

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The most important part of Spurs’ rebuild is the oft-discussed Wembanyama, whose presence in the paint cannot be underestimated. With a ridiculous 8-foot wingspan, his range of motion when blocking shots is virtually limitless and a big reason he was the runaway rookie of the year last season, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league high of 3.9 cancellations per game. With Chris Paul a new primary initiator in town, his offensive efficiency should only increase as he becomes even closer to the MVP candidate he was billed to be.

While the Spurs made significant progress in the offseason, the loss of Vassell, who averaged 19.5 points per game last season, is a real blow to the team’s offensive capabilities. Given their poor perimeter defense, it is likely that Dallas will be able to attack with a variety of dribbles from the perimeter. Klay Thompson Screens and pick-and-pops to neutralize Wembanyama’s rim protection (well, as much as possible). With players like Kyrie Irving and Doncic who like to attack the basket, Wembanyama’s defense can be activated, but there are so many mismatches for Dallas to exploit on offense that he probably won’t be able to do it all on his own.

Dallas is the better team here and should win pretty convincingly.

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