Dallas Basketball

Breaking Down Spurs' Lineup Ahead of Second Mavs Matchup

San Antonio is currently ahead of the Mavericks in the NBA standings.

Keenan Womack

Oct 24, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Oct 24, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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The Mavericks come into Saturday night's matchup after an embarrassing loss to the now 3-8 Jazz on the road on Thursday, a game in which Luka Doncic made a critical defensive mistake that led to a wide-open dunk for John Collins and lifted Utah to a 115-113 victory. The loss put Dallas at 5-7, which has them ranked 12th in the conference after winning the West last season.

In a season marked by clutch losses, as the last four games in a row have been decided by a bucket, Dallas has struggled to find consistent offense on the last play of games, an area in which they often thrived in 2023-24. What has killed the Mavericks all season re-emerged against Utah on Thursday night, which, simply put, is lacking energy – this manifests itself in bad shot selection, lazy fouls on defense, and turning the ball over. On Saturday, the Mavericks will look to get right against the San Antonio Spurs, a team they defeated to open the 2024 season in Dallas, 120-109.

READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic Falls in Latest MVP Ladder

Chris Paul will get the start at point guard, as he has in each of the Spurs' 12 games this season. On the year, he's averaging 10.8 points and 8.3 assists. His presence has greatly helped Victor Wembanyama, as providing simple things, like accurate entry passes, has given the sophomore sensation a much easier time providing an impact on offense. Paul has also been a good mentor to Stephon Castle, a player San Antonio is readying to take over the lead initiator spot in the future.

Castle will get the start as well, which will be his sixth of the season. He was inserted into the starting lineup when Jeremy Sochan went down and has done an admirable job in his rookie season on both ends of the floor, but particularly on the defensive end. While he has struggled with efficiency on offense, he has been very impactful overall and has had four straight games of double-digit points, including a 23-point outburst on 8-of-16 against Utah in a 111-110 loss. His development has been a positive sign for San Antonio, who is aiming to get out of rebuilding mode sooner rather than later.

READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks 'Not Concerned' With Kyrie Irving's Injury

Julian Champagnie has held down the small forward spot this season and has also started every game for the Spurs so far. He's putting up 10.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and has been an effective part of this San Antonio rotation in 2024. He's rotated at the wing spot along with Harrison Barnes, who has been starting at the four since Jeremy Sochan's injury earlier this season. Both players provide three-point shooting and can space the floor, allowing more room for Wembanyama to operate.

The aforementioned French center, Victor Wembanyama, is the star of the team and one of the budding new faces of the entire league. The second-year star and former number-one pick scored a career-high 50 points against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, hitting eight three-pointers on 16 attempts and shooting a very efficient 18-of-29 overall. His dominance on the defensive end cannot be understated, but his offense is beginning to catch up.

READ MORE: Mavs' Luka Doncic Owns Up to Crucial Late Blunder Against Jazz

Scoring off the bench can be found with Devin Vassell, who may retake his starting spot at shooting guard in the near future after returning from injury, as well as Keldon Johnson. Guards Malaki Branham and Tre Jones will also play with the reserve unit.

Earlier in the season, it would seem that this matchup would be one Dallas should be primed to win, but considering recent results, no game can be taken for granted. In the NBA, any team can win on any given night, but when the effort, shooting, and defensive rebounding have been as poor as the Mavericks' has been, these games against weaker teams mean that much more. It's also important to note how little of a margin for error there is in the Western Conference, where seeds are often separated by just a few games. If Dallas wants to right the ship, it needs to start Saturday night against San Antonio.

READ MORE: Mavericks Drop Embarrassing Game to Utah Jazz, 115-113

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Keenan Womack
KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.

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