Klay Thompson could not have asked for a better start to his Mavericks career. In 26 minutes played, Thompson registered 22 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals. He broke the Mavs record for most threes made in a debut, sinking 6-of-10 attempts from beyond the arc. The former Warrior looked comfortable in his first game with his new team, helping the Mavericks to a 120-109 win over the division-rival San Antonio Spurs. His sharp shooting and solid defense were a welcomed sight for a Dallas team looking to repeat as Western Conference champions and eventually capture the NBA title.
Thompson’s spacing offers a ton of value to his new club. Defenses have to respect his ability even when his shot isn’t falling. That opens up lanes for Dallas stars Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks backcourt wasn’t even particularly good in this game.
Dončić and Irving combined to go 15-of-42 (35-percent) from the field versus the Spurs. Dončić accounted for four of Dallas’ nine turnovers. Irving was off all night, tallied just two assists, and failed to get to the free-throw line. They’ll both find their groove in short order, and that will truly put defenses in flux as they decide what to try and take away from this high-powered Dallas offense.
Balancing out the middling performances from Dončić and Irving were Dallas’ pair of talented centers. Daniel Gafford drew the start but played just 19 minutes due to foul trouble. Still, the former Wizard tallied 9 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal during his limited time on the floor.
Second-year standout Derrick Lively ended up playing 28 minutes and was excellent. Lively recorded 15 points and 11 rebounds, and tied his career-high with 6 assists. The Mavericks were banking on the former Blue Devil developing in Year 2. Lively becoming more comfortable as a passer opens up new opportunities — especially when one of Dončić or Irving isn’t on the floor.
Defensively, the Mavericks made it difficult on second-year phenom Victor Wembanyama. Dallas used different defenders on him throughout the game and persuaded Wembanyama to take long jumpers rather than dominate the paint. He finished 5-of-18 from the field and 1-of-8 from three. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd will gladly take any game in which the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama (9) is out-rebounded by Dončić (10) and Lively (11).
The Western Conference is flush with talent, but the Mavericks already have the look of a team that will finish near the top of the standings. Things will get a bit more difficult when they face off against teams with a speedy backcourt that can challenge Dončić, Irving, and Thompson to defend. However, Dallas’ offense can keep up with anybody and the Gafford/Lively center combo has been sensational. If Thompson keeps shooting lights out, Dallas will be tough to beat.
