Spurs
Victor Wembanyama wasted no time reminding everyone who runs the show.
The Spurs’ star made the American Airlines Center his playground, torching the Mavericks for 40 points on 15-of-21 shooting in a 125-92 win.
He added 15 rebounds and three blocks while setting a new team record for the most points ever scored in a season opener.
The 21-year-old All-Star played just 46 games last season before a shoulder injury shut him down.
Now fully healthy, he sounds sharper than ever — mentally and physically.
“I’m much more in control of myself,” Wembanyama said after the game, via Paolo Mariano of Clutch Points. “I saw what it’s like to be confronted with losing a lot, whether it’s your career or your health. I’m not taking this for granted anymore.”
He averaged 24.3 points, 11 boards, and nearly four blocks last year despite the early ending.
After a summer of “brutal” training and a visit to China, Wemby looks like he’s entering a new phase. It might just be his league now.
Mavericks
Rookie Cooper Flagg had the stage, the lights, and the hype. The results will come later.
The top pick made his NBA debut as the Mavericks’ starting point guard — a position he’d never played — and finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and three turnovers in 32 minutes.
He missed an alley-oop dunk on his very first possession and never found much rhythm, going 4-of-13 from the field in a long night that saw the Spurs outscore Dallas by 29 with him on the floor.
“Not great,” Flagg said, via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “Didn’t play incredibly well, but we’ve got to move past it.”
Anthony Davis, who led Dallas with 22 points, said it was nothing more than first-game jitters.
“You saw it — everything was No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and Wemby matchup,” Davis said. “He’ll be fine.”
Head coach Jason Kidd agreed.
“He played well,” Kidd said. “Now the stat line’s not going to say that, but as a rookie, he did fine. He’s going to learn from this.”
Knicks
New York coach Mike Brown isn’t shying away from expectations.
“Everyone has expectations,” he told reporters, via Ian Begley of SNY. “I don’t know if theirs are higher than the guys in that locker room. We embrace that.”
The Knicks used 11 players in their 119-111 win over the Cavaliers, with all logging at least eight minutes.
Brown said the rotation depth will be a fun challenge to manage.
“Just like the players have room to grow, I’ve got room to grow too,” he said.
Karl-Anthony Towns, who played through a Grade 2 quad strain, added 19 points and 11 rebounds in the win.
“I didn’t want to disappoint the fans,” he said afterward.
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