3 studs, 2 duds in Mavericks’ season opener win against Spurs

For the first time since the 2019-20 season, the Dallas Mavericks have won their season opener. In a highly intense game, the trio of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Dereck Lively II took down the San Antonio Spurs on the road by a score of 126-119.

For a team that added seven notable players to their roster this offseason, the chemistry was off the charts.

The Mavericks found a way to overcome adversity tonight after an awful start to the first quarter. Jason Kidd was very active and vocal with his players on the court regarding the defensive schemes, which was very beneficial in the second half.

3 studs, 2 duds from Mavericks’ season opener win against the Spurs

Although the Mavs were off to a rocky start, all fans were excited to their favorite players back on the court.

Here are your three studs and two duds from the Mavs’ season opener win.

5. Stud - Grant Williams

In his Mavericks regular season debut, Grant Williams was nothing but positive vibes.

One of the Mavericks' biggest needs when they entered the offseason was finding a wing that could guard multiple positions. Grant Williams clearly showcased his talents in that department when guarding Victor Wembanyama. He made the 7-foot-4 stretch big struggle all night and helped cause five fouls.

At some points throughout the game, fans could clearly see some deja vu moments between Williams and Doncic that reminded them of the connection with Dorian Finney-Smith.

Williams dropped 17 points, 6 rebounds, and shot 4-8 from the 3-point line, including 2 clutch threes in the fourth quarter. Not only was his presence felt on the perimeter, but inside of the paint on both sides of the floor was where Williams shined.

The 6-foot-6 forward made Wembanyama, a foot taller than Williams, suffer all night long in all aspects of the game.

Williams also debuted the Jordan Luka 2 “Matador” shoes alongside Doncic in the season opener.

Expect the fan favorite, Grant Williams to continue to be one of the best two-way players on this Mavericks roster for a very long time.

4. Dud - Derrick Jones Jr.

One of the more exciting pickups of the offseason for Maverick fans was Derrick Jones Jr.

No one really had expected for him to start after Josh Green signed his new contract extension deal, but you never know with Jason Kidd.

In his debut with the Blue and White, Jones Jr. struggled going 0-3 from the field and 1-2 from the free-throw line, finishing with just one point and one rebound in 12 minutes of play. Although the 6-foot-6 forward started, it was clear to the coaching staff that he was not making much of an impact whatsoever on both sides of the floor.

One of the main reasons Jones Jr. was brought onto the Mavericks was due to his capability of being able to guard multiple positions. After the season opener, he has left many fans in question of whether or not he will make an impact for this team.

If Jones Jr. can find a way to shoot from behind the 3-point line at a higher percentage consistently, then he may see solid minutes in the rotation. After the win on the road against the Spurs, it’s seemingly clear that Josh Green will start against the Brooklyn Nets in the home opener on Friday.

3. Stud - Luka Doncic

Luka Doncic came out in the season opener and showed NBA fans that Luka magic is a real thing.

Coming into this season, the Mavs needed two things from Doncic. First, they needed him to be more active on the defensive side of the floor. Secondly, the goal was to run the offense at a faster pace. Doncic completed both of those tasks in a massive win on Wednesday night against the Spurs.

The Spurs started out the game with a 6-0 lead, then Luka magic came down the court and hit his classic stepback 3-pointer. From there on out, it was the Luka show.

Doncic ended the game with 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. Late in the fourth quarter was when Doncic earned his 57th career triple-double off of a pass to star teammate, Kyrie Irving.

Doncic struggled in recent years with getting back on defense and complaining to the officials, but that was not the case tonight. He has clearly shown a big boost of maturity as he slowly becomes a veteran of this league.

Luka played the 3rd most minutes for the Mavericks in the win and had seen his playing time rotation get changed from what it looked like last season.

If Doncic continues to have games like this there’s no doubt in any fan's mind that he will make a big run for the 2023-24 MVP award.

2. Dud - Maxi Kleber

One of the players that some Dallas Maverick fans wanted to see get traded this offseason was Maxi Kleber as he struggled tremendously during the preseason.

After his performance against the Spurs, it seems to be more clear why fans hoped for this.

All Mavericks fans were in shock when the starting lineups were announced. Everyone had believed after starting all four preseason games, Dereck Lively II would start, but Jason Kidd pulled another trick out of his sleeve and ended up starting Maxi Kleber.

Overall, Kleber struggled for most of the game on both sides of the floor. His plus/minus was a team low of minus 12. Kleber had a mediocre 6 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 2-7 from the field, including an airball from the top of the key.

Kleber has sequences of providing good paint defense, but throughout the whole game, he was making consistent mistakes offensively and was committing soft and easy fouls for the opposing team on the defensive side of the floor.

Kleber, coming in at 6-foot-10 had to deal with some difficult tasks tonight of guarding Zach Collins and Victor Wembanyama. Clearly, he struggled and needs to work on certain aspects of his game.

He will continue to be a key piece to this team and be a part of the rotation, but before he is certified, he needs to improve his IQ on both ends of the floor this season.

1. Stud - Dereck Lively II

One of the biggest needs coming into this year's past offseason was finding a center that could make an impact on both sides of the floor, similar to Tyson Chandler.

After his rookie debut, it’s very clear that Dereck Lively II, the No. 12 pick from the 2023 NBA Draft, was the missing piece in the puzzle for the Dallas Mavericks.

Heading into the season opener, all eyes were focused on rookie center, Victor Wembanyama, but that quickly changed after a dominant performance from Lively II.

In his first-ever game as a Maverick, Lively had 16 points, 10 rebounds, and shot 7/8 from the field. The stat line doesn’t show it all though. The 7-foot-1, 19-year-old was diving for loose balls, tipping the ball out for offensive rebounds, and being a defensive leader.

Lively II led the team with a plus/minus of plus 20 throughout the whole game. The center also had multiple alley-oop and put-back dunks during the game as well.

What stuck out the most in his debut was the pick-and-roll connection he has already developed with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Lively II stole the show Wednesday night and proved that he’s capable of making an All-Rookie team.

After the big win for the Mavericks, it’s seemingly clear that Lively II should be the starting center for the team. At the pace he’s developing at, expect Lively II to be a key piece for this team for years to come.