The Dallas Mavericks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 126-119 on Wednesday night. The game still provided hope for Spurs fans with Victor Wembanyama making his NBA regular season debut. Wembanyama caught the attention of Mavs star Luka Doncic, who shared his thoughts on the Spurs rookie following the game.
“He’s going to be amazing. He already is,” Doncic said of Wembanyama, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “The way he moves for 7-5, 7-6 is incredible. He moves like a point guard almost, so it’s pretty amazing…He’s going to have a great future and he’s going to be amazing to watch.”
Victor Wembanyama only played 23 minutes after running into early foul trouble. He was efficient nonetheless, converting on six of his nine field goal attempts. Wembanyama finished with 15 points to go along with three 3-pointers, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.
Meanwhile, Luka Doncic performed admirably to lead Dallas to a big season opening win after the Mavs trailed early. Luka finished with 33 points on 13-25 shooting. He also recorded a triple-double, reeling in 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
People forget that Doncic is still only 24-years old. Wembanyama is just 19. These two young stars are going to dominate the league for the foreseeable future.
Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama set to battle for years to come
Article Continues BelowThe Spurs have built an intriguing young core around Wembanyama. They aren't quite ready to compete, but it won't be long before San Antonio is consistently in the playoffs.
Dallas, on the other hand, is looking to make a playoff run in 2023-24. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving lead a quality group of players. The Mavs need to improve on the defensive end, but their scoring outbursts will keep them in games.
Doncic and Wembanyama are both young players with extremely bright futures. It wouldn't be surprising to see Doncic win his first MVP during the 2023-24 season. And Wembanyama is the clear favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award.
If they remain with the Mavs and Spurs, the Texas rivalry will be reignited in a big way. Everyone will tune into Dallas-San Antonio games with these stars setting the pace.
The NBA's future is certainly in good hands.