Victor Wembanyama was the big attraction, but West champs remind us they might be even better with Klay Thompson

DALLAS — The look of bewilderment was common across the many sets of eyes throughout American Airlines Center on Thursday night, starting with Klay Thompson.

The Dallas Mavericks’ new addition was so shocked he was left so wide open for a fourth-quarter triple, he took a rhythm dribble just to set his body squarely at the rim.

Before the ball left his hands, the man who delivered the pass, Luka Dončić, was already headed downcourt, almost as if to say: “You let me have this guy on my team?”

That look was echoed by San Antonio Spurs second-year phenom Victor Wembanyama, who was stunned by the extra attention he received, with hands swiping at him and bodies thrown at him.

Wembanyama’s coming-out party was delayed by the reminder Thompson is arguably one of the five best shooters in NBA history, and the Mavericks are the Western Conference champions, with no plans to relinquish the title just because the conference got beefier at the top.

Dončić shook off summer rust, and Thompson showed none as the Mavericks showed no mercy on the Spurs on Thursday night. Thompson’s six triples were a team record in a player’s debut, as he scored 22 in Dallas’ 120-109 win.

Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) goes in for a layup as he is guarded by the San Antonio Spurs’ Julian Champagnie during the second half Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Albert Pena)

Wembanyama’s second half of his rookie year already has many cementing his name as Defensive Player of the Year now and an MVP in the not too distant future. But he was given some rude treatment by draftmate Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, the men who manned the middle during Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals.

Wembanyama’s final numbers looked effective enough, with 17 points and nine rebounds, but he found unexpected difficulty in getting looks, missing 13 of his 18 shots. The addition of veteran Chris Paul didn’t look too promising either, and it’s easy to surmise Wembanyama’s rough night combined with Paul’s debut in a Spurs uniform as correlated struggles.

But the night was more about Dallas, a team treated like an afterthought in a…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-10-25 05:20:00

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