Breaking Down Spurs Starting Lineup Ahead of Mavs Matchup

Tonight, the Mavericks take on the San Antonio Spurs to open the season at 6:30 C.T. on TNT. A rivalry that goes back decades, there is no love lost between two of Texas’ three NBA franchises, ones that have had plenty of epic clashes in the postseason. The Mavericks are coming off of a Finals appearance and have a legitimate MVP contender in Luka Doncic, while the Spurs are in the midst of a rebuild, though they have found their savior in French forward/center Victor Wembanyama.

Though the two teams are on different trajectories for the 2024 season, San Antonio is building around a unique player in Wembanyama, the likes of which the game has never seen – a 7-foot-5 fluid athlete who is the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year in just his second year (and finished second in voting as a rookie for the award). This game will come down to a multitude of factors, with Wembanyama’s mobility-based rim protection being one of them. Without further adieu, here is a breakdown of the Spurs’ lineup.

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Starting at point guard will be veteran Chris Paul, who came over from the Golden State Warriors this offseason in a move that has lots of upside for this roster. After Tre Jones and Jeremy Sochan split reps as the primary initiators last season for San Antonio, the Spurs finally have a true floor general, though one that is 39 years old and has undoubtedly lost a step. Still, Paul’s playmaking and vision will be a godsend for a player like the aforementioned Wembanyama; small things like accurate entry passes will be extremely helpful in guiding the sophomore sensation to a more efficient season, setting him up with easier looks.

At shooting guard, the Spurs are likely going with Julian Champagnie, even though most of his reps have been at small forward during his time with San Antonio (68% of his minutes came at the wing spot according to Basketball Reference). This could be a move to deal with the size disadvantage considering Luka Doncic’s 6-foot-8 frame, but also because starter Devin Vassell, the Spurs’ second-leading scorer in 2023-24, is out with a stress fracture in his foot that will keep him sidelined anywhere from two more weeks to a month. Champagnie put up 6.8 points and 2.8 rebounds over 74 games last year.

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Small forward Harrison Barnes, who was acquired by San Antonio in the three-team deal that sent DeMar DeRozan to the Kings, will start alongside Champagnie. Barnes averaged 12.2 points per game last season for the Sacramento Kings as a part of their up-and-coming squad and will be another steady veteran presence for the Spurs’ young corps. A career 38% three-point shooter, he will open some things up on the perimeter for a team that shot 34.7% from beyond the arc last season and needed floor spacing badly.

The power forward spot will be held down by a playmaking big in Jeremy Sochan, who, as was previously mentioned, played some point guard for the Spurs last season. A mobile athlete and very good defender, Sochan could be an option to guard Luka Doncic if the Spurs feel that Wembanyama’s rim protection is strong enough without another big in the paint. Sochan averaged 11.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists last season for San Antonio, and is a big part of what they do on both sides of the ball.

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The most important piece of the Spurs’ rebuild is the oft-discussed Wembanyama, whose presence in the paint cannot be understated. Sporting a ridiculous 8-foot wingspan, his range of motion in blocking shots is essentially limitless, and a major reason why he was the runaway rookie of the year last season, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and a league-high 3.9 rejections per game. With a new lead initiator in town in Chris Paul, his offensive efficiency should only increase as he grows even closer towards the MVP candidate that he has been billed to be.

While the Spurs have made definite improvements in the offseason, losing Vassell, who averaged 19.5 points per game last season, is a real blow to the team’s offensive capabilities. Given their flawed perimeter defense, it’s likely that Dallas can attack from the perimeter using a series of dribble handoffs, Klay Thompson screens, and pick-and-pops to neutralize the rim protection of Wembanyama (well, as much as one can). Having players that like to attack the basket in Kyrie Irving and Doncic may allow for Wembanyama’s defensive activation, but there are so many mismatches for Dallas’ offense to exploit that he likely won’t be able to do it all himself.

Dallas is the better team here, and should win fairly convincingly.

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