A new NBA season is officially underway, and the Mavericks took the first step in what they hope is their road back to the Finals on Thursday.
The 120-109 win over the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center marked the first game that included the new “Big Three” of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson — who made his official debut in a Mavericks uniform.
Several prominent figures were in attendance, including Mavericks majority owner Miriam Adelson and governor Patrick Dumont, Hall of Fame forward Dirk Nowitzki, Wings star guard Arike Ogunbowale and former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
Here are five observations from the Mavericks’ first win of the season:
Thompson’s official welcome to Dallas
The entire basketball world finally got to see what Thompson would look like in a lineup next to Doncic and Irving, and the results were impressive. Thompson received plenty of open looks Thursday and made the most of them. He finished with 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field. He shot the third-most of any Maverick outside of Doncic and Irving, which wasn’t surprising given he’s ideally going to serve as the Mavericks’ third scorer.
Thompson’s first basket of the night occurred after he pump-faked into a midrange jumper, which received a friendly bounce before it dropped through the basket. His first 3-pointer on an assist from Doncic was more notable, as he came off a screen on an out-of-bounds play.
“It’s easy to play with a guy like that,” Doncic said. “You gotta find him. It makes mine and Kai’s life easier. It makes the whole team easier.”
Thompson’s mere presence made defending the Mavericks difficult because when there were over-commitments, one of their stars was open from beyond the arc. Defensively, he spent most of the time on Chris Paul and was solid on his rotations, especially when San Antonio tried to switch a big man onto him.
The Mavericks’ offense isn’t a well-oiled machine just yet, but Thompson’s debut was a success.
Doncic comes alive in second half
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich shrugged off a question during his pregame news conference about planning for the Mavericks with the addition of Thompson. He joked that even though Doncic missed the preseason, he could still score 50 points.
That wasn’t the case, but Doncic did more than enough to help the Mavericks secure the victory. He finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. His stat line (8-of-21) would suggest a poor shooting night, but the bulk of those misses were in the first half. Doncic went 5-of-11 in the second half and made four of his seven 3-point attempts.
Doncic missed the entire training camp and preseason slate because of a left calf contusion and had only a handful of practices before Thursday’s opener. It’s natural for even the greatest players in the NBA to feel some rust, especially since it was his first competitive basketball game since mid-July. After the game, Doncic said he played “terrible” despite his near-triple-double.
“I was telling someone that I was rusty the whole first half,” Doncic said. The third quarter, it kind of opened up. The legs were back. It felt great just to be out there playing basketball.”
Still, Doncic compiled his fair share of highlights. He threw a no-look pass behind his back to P.J. Washington for an open 3. His best defensive moment occurred late in the second quarter when he pulled the chair on Victor Wembanyama, which led to a turnover and a transition for Dallas as Jaden Hardy found Dereck Lively II for a vicious dunk.
One thing was clear on Thursday: Doncic is still Doncic.
LUKA PULLS THE CHAIR.
— NBA (@NBA) October 25, 2024
HARDY PUSHES THE PACE.
LIVELY ROCKS THE RIM.
This @dallasmavs sequence on TNT 💯 pic.twitter.com/jbtAEe5MiC
Wembanyama struggles
After a sensational rookie year, Wembanyama enters his second season in the NBA with even higher expectations. Despite gaining weight in the offseason, the second-year center struggled throughout the night. The Mavericks were physical with him on the defensive end early in the game, which made Wembanyama uncomfortable as he tried to establish position inside the paint.
He also couldn’t find continuity in the pick-and-roll with new co-star Chris Paul. Wembanyama finished with 17 points and nine rebounds on 5-of-19 shooting from the field. He couldn’t find a rhythm from the perimeter and made only one of his eight attempts from beyond the 3-point arc.
The Mavericks will see Wembanyama and the Spurs three more times this season.
Who starts at center?
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd declined to reveal a starting center prior to Thursday’s season opener, but Daniel Gafford earned the nod for the first game of the season. The sixth-year big man had received reps with the first unit in the practices leading up to the game, so his placement as the starter wasn’t much of a surprise.
Gafford battled through foul trouble Thursday but finished with nine points and six rebounds. He maintained a physical presence in his matchups against Wembanyama, and his most impressive play occurred when he tip-slammed his missed layup.
Dereck Lively II also shined off the bench, with a double-double of 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Regardless of who starts the game, the Mavericks have two more-than-capable options with their big man duo.
Backup point guard?
There was a clear competition for the backup point guard role between Jaden Hardy and Spencer Dinwiddie in the aftermath of Dante Exum’s wrist injury.
But Dallas didn’t call upon either player for the role until the second quarter. Kidd staggered Doncic and Irving in the lead guard spot throughout the first quarter, a strategy that gives Irving a breather midway through the period and allows him to relieve Doncic for the end of it.
The Mavericks did try a different look to start the second quarter, with Hardy starting alongside Doncic. He made all three of his 3-pointers in the second period and finished with 11 points off the bench. Dinwiddie didn’t check in until Doncic exited the game with 2:57 remaining.
“I thought Hardy was a big plus for us in that first half,” Kidd said. “I thought he got everyone to settle down because we couldn’t see a 3 go into the hoop until he started to make some for us. I thought that was contagious.”
Hardy, in his first game since signing a three-year extension, made a clear case for the backup point guard role.
