Luka Doncic put up 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in a strong win over the San Antonio Spurs to open the Mavericks season. He was so happy after the game, clinched with a classic Doncic dagger, that he ended up cursing in his [ost-game interview while praising rookie center Dereck Lively II after his debut.
“He didn’t seem like he was nervous. He played f**cking amazing. Sorry, I’m tired, I’m tired.”
Luka Doncic drops an F bomb during his postgame interview 😂
— BASKETBALL ON 𝕏 (@BASKETBALLonX) October 26, 2023
His feelings on Lively are justified, as many assumed the rookie center may not be playable for the Mavs to begin with. After an average preseason, he was benched to start the game in favor of Maxi Kleber. But with his 16 points and 10 rebounds on 7/8 shooting, it’s unlikely he will get moved to the bench again.
Doncic was counted out by many this summer after failing to lead the Mavericks to the playoffs last season. He started the 2023/24 season by reminding everyone he’s still one of the best in the league by leading the Mavs to a win against the Spurs and ruining what was supposed to be a triumphant debut for Victor Wembanyama.
Can The Mavericks Contend This Season?
The end result of this game was great for the Mavericks, but they didn’t look very sharp for most of the contest. They trailed for the entirety of the first half but managed to settle into a rhythm in the second half, outscoring the Spurs by 11 points over two quarters. But the Mavs should be blowing out a team like San Antonio if they’re hoping to be in the championship mix.
Kyrie Irving had a wildly disappointing first three-quarters of the game, clearly lacking confidence in a lot of his shot attempts. However, he picked it up in the fourth quarter and ended up with 22 points.
The Mavericks have shown they can be a ruthless team in clutch time, making big stops through the entire team hustling on defense which led to six-point swings with Kyrie and Luka both ending up with three easy points as a result. Giving up 119 points to the Spurs shows that the Mavs have a lot of defense still to find, but if they can outscore opponents, it won’t matter.
Grant Williams had an impressive debut of his own, being the primary reason Victor Wembanyama was unable to impact the game despite showing flashes of his talent. His hard-bodied POA defense will be useful, as his three-point shooting ultimately helped the Mavs win. He ended with 17 points and six rebounds in a new and expanded role compared to what we saw in Boston.
The team’s success is ultimately going to rely on how far Doncic can take them. It seems he’s going to do what we’ve come to expect of him, but will it also fall short this season? We’ll have to wait to find out.
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