Dallas Mavs Preview: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving Open Season vs. Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs

With the NBA season finally upon us, the Mavs will face the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama for their first game of the season.

The NBA season is finally here, and for their opening act, the Dallas Mavericks travel four hours south to Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, where they will face the Spurs and rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama.

While most eyes will be on Wemby, many Mavs fans will be focused on their new starting center, rookie Dereck Lively II. After impressing during the offseason, head coach Jason Kidd has given the 19-year-old the starting job over Dwight Powell and Richaun Holmes. Lively showed his chemistry on the court with stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving all throughout training camp and preseason.

Doncic, Irving and their revamped supporting cast that includes Lively, Grant Williams, Seth Curry, Derrick Jones Jr. and others, will look to spoil Wembanayma's NBA debut. And although Doncic is listed as "questionable" with a left calf strain as of Wednesday morning, he believes his conditioning is actually better now than it was when training camp began.

"I actually think it was better,” Doncic said of his conditioning. “I had to spend a lot of time in the weight room. Actually, it was good: Not good that I was injured, but I got a lot of work in, and I feel way better than I was on the trip.”

Another new addition to the Mavs' starting lineup could be Josh Green, who just signed a three-year, $41 million contract extension. While Kidd has not come out and said it, Green's development over the offseason, combined with the head coach's comments about Hardaway's presumed sixth-man role, one would think the 6-5 wing out of Australia has a high probability to make the first opening-night start of his career. However, don't count out Jones either, who was listed as being a "probable" starter in the Mavs' pregame media notes.

Here's everything else you need to know about tonight highly-anticipated matchup.

Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama are two of the most hyped European prospects ever, and now they'll face each other to begin the NBA's 2023-24 season / USA TODAY Sports

Mavericks vs. Spurs Injury Report

Dallas Mavericks

Luka Doncic (QUESTIONABLE-calf)

Jaden Hardy (QUESTIONABLE-ankle)

Dwight Powell (QUESTIONABLE-illness)

San Antonio Spurs

Zach Collins (QUESTIONABLE-illness)

Devonte' Graham (OUT-league suspension)

RECORDS: Dallas Mavericks (0-0), San Antonio Spurs (0-0)

WHERE: Frost Bank Center (San Antonio, Texas)

WHEN: Wednesday, October 25, 2023 @ 8:30p.m. CT

TV: ESPN, Bally Sports Southwest

RADIO: 97.1 The Freak

ODDS: Mavericks -3.5

NEXT UP: The Mavs head home to play the Brooklyn Nets at American Airlines Center on Friday at 7:30p.m. CT

FINAL WORD: The Mavs hope to spoil Wemby's first NBA regular season game with a win in front of his home crowd. Dallas vs. San Antonio has always been fun throughout the years, and now we get to watch a new chapter in the rivalry unfold.