Victor Wembanyama's debut may have been the pregame headline, but Dallas' late 8-0 run was the story as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 126-119. Luka Doncic posted game-high totals in points (33), rebounds (13), and assists (10) to lead the way for Dallas. Doncic joined Oscar Robertson and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only players to post a 30 point triple double in a season opener (Robertson did it twice). Kyrie Irving added 22 points on 10-24 field goal shooting while also passing for six assists. Grant Williams and Tim Hardaway Jr. each scored 17 points.
Devin Vassell scored a team-high 23 points as seven Spurs scored in double figures. Wembanyama was fourth on that list behind Vassell, Keldon Johnson (17), and Tre Jones (16). Wembanyama had 15 points on 6-9 field goal shooting, plus five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one blocked shot--but he also posted game-high totals in fouls (five) and turnovers (five). Wembanyama's size, athleticism, and basketball talent are obvious--but he is also a skinny 19 year old whose body is still developing and who still is learning the NBA game. It is easy to push him out of the post, and he is far from being a dominant player at this early stage of his career. It is important to remember that few 19 year old NBA players--even the ones who developed into all-time greats--played at even an All-Star level (let alone an all-time great level). Wembanyama will have some big games this season, and his season averages will likely exceed his first game totals in every category, but it is way too early to crown him as a once in a generation player or whatever other hype has been attached to his name.
The Spurs are likely way too young and inexperienced to be a playoff team this season; that is the price of tanking. Perhaps the Spurs will prove to be the rare (or only) team that can tank without creating a losing atmosphere, but in general once a franchise takes the stance that winning does not matter it is not so easy to change the mindset to the "every possession matters" attitude that playoff contenders have.
On the other hand, the Dallas Mavericks have an MVP candidate in Doncic, an NBA champion in Irving, and several solid veteran players. The Mavericks figure to be an explosive offensive team, but their fate will be determined by their commitment to consistently playing good defense--and even though the Mavericks won this game, this was not even close to a championship-caliber defensive performance. The Spurs tied for the worst record in the Western Conference last season while ranking 23rd out of 30 teams in scoring and 25th in field goal percentage, but against Dallas they poured in 119 points while shooting 46-89 (.517) from the field. It is reasonable to believe that the Spurs are better now than they were last season, but it is doubtful that they will be a playoff team with an elite offense, so any Dallas fan should be alarmed that the Mavericks struggled to keep the Spurs under 120 points. The Mavericks did not lead at all during the first half, and in the final 1:51 they needed an Irving three pointer, an Irving drive, and a Doncic three pointer to escape with a win.
If the Mavericks' defense does not improve significantly, they will have many games during which they give up at least 125 points, which happened 17 times last season; the Mavericks posted a 4-13 record in those games.