Dallas Mavericks' Grant Williams Eyes 'Physical' Matchup vs. San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wembanyama

Dallas Mavericks forward Grant Williams spoke about playing the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama on opening night.

Dallas Mavericks forward Grant Williams is preparing for the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama for opening night on Wednesday, and the visiting team already has a game plan.

"I feel like you just have to be physical," Williams said on the Mavs Step Back Podcast. "You have to make sure he can't get to the spots that he wants to get to. You have to make it difficult for him. Like any star player, you're gonna have to outwork them. They're gonna get the shots, they're gonna get the opportunities, so even if they have 20 points, you can't be mad at it, but you have to look up and see if they're 10-for-11 or 10-for-18. You know, that's a huge difference in this league."

It's almost unprecedented for a player to be talked about in the way Williams talks about Wembanyama before he has played a single official minute of NBA basketball. 

At 7 feet 4 inches tall, Victor Wembanyama is tied for the tallest active player in the NBA.  / © Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports

Wembanyama was one of the most hyped prospects to ever enter the NBA Draft, coming out of France where he played for the Metropolitans 92. After they were awarded the first pick through the draft lottery, the Spurs drafted the 7-4 Frenchman with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. 

Williams is new to Dallas, having spent the first four seasons of his career with the Boston Celtics. As part of a sign and trade, Williams signed a four-year, $53.3 million contract with the Mavericks. 

San Antonio will be hosting Dallas for the opening night of the season on Oct. 25 at 9:30 p.m. It will be Wembanyama's first career regular season NBA game.