Wemby's next chapter: Spurs take on Mavericks in season opener
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Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama in a preseason game. Photo: Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images
As the Spurs head to Dallas for their season opener against the Mavericks on Thursday, the spotlight is on 20-year-old Victor Wembanyama, whose rise has captivated the league.
Why it matters: Wemby now has a veteran point guard in Chris Paul, who signed a one-year contract with the Spurs in July, to help improve the 7-foot-3 forward-center's offense efficiency in his second act.
Catch up quick: Though Wemby capped his first season with numerous accolades, including a unanimous Rookie of the Year title, the Spurs finished with a 22-60 record — the third-worst in franchise history.
- The Spurs finished the preseason with a 2-3 record.
The big picture: The addition of seasoned veterans like Paul, formerly of the Golden State Warriors, and Harrison Barnes, previously with the Sacramento Kings, is expected to bring stability and experience as the Spurs build around Wemby.
- Wembanyama showed his growth in the postseason during the Paris Olympics, where he led the French team with 26 points against Team USA and was named the International Basketball Federation's Rising Star of the tournament.
State of play: Mavericks star Luka Dončić has been cleared to play in Thursday's opener after missing the preseason with a calf contusion.
- The Mavs beat the Spurs in all of their meetings last season.
- The game will be nationally televised on TNT.
What they're saying: "A successful year would be a year where we don't lose time doing the mistakes we did last year and we apply our improvements right away," Wembanyama told the Associated Press. "I think it's going well because when I watch everybody — and I watched everybody during the summer — everybody was putting in some super hard work. And it just seems like it's going to pay off."
The intrigue: The Spurs' star power continues to draw attention, with 21 nationally televised games this season, an increase from 19 last year.
- In 2022, the pre-Wemby year, the team had just four nationally televised games.
- They're also back on the Christmas Day schedule for the first time since 2016.
What's next: The Spurs will play at home Saturday against the Houston Rockets.
- Tipoff is at 7:30pm.