San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama, Jeremy Sochan to Shut Down Dallas Mavs' Luka Doncic

In the first game of the regular season, Victor Wembanyama and Jeremy Sochan will lead the San Antonio Spurs' plan of attack against Luka Doncic.

The San Antonio Spurs are preparing for their first matchup of the season, hosting the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. Both teams seem to have generational talent; the Spurs have Victor Wembanyama and the Mavericks have Luka Doncic.

While Doncic is undoubtedly one of the best players in the league, his defense has been called into question. He has been accused of not running back on defense à la Roger Murdock in Airplane, but Doncic doesn’t have to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes.

Wembanyama is yet to cement himself among the NBA’s best offensive weapons, but before his regular-season debut, his opponents are already taking drastic measures to avoid his shot-blocking abilities.

That being said, Wembanyama is yet to match up against the primary ball handler or the opposition’s best player. In preseason, he has covered Andrew Wiggins, Alperen Şengün, Duncan Robinson, and a smattering of Thunder players. Suffice it to say, Doncic is a whole different breed.

Sochan and Wembanyama will be leading the Spurs on defense / © Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Luckily for Wembanyama, he won’t be alone. Jeremy Sochan will probably be tasked with guarding Doncic. In the one game where Doncic and Sochan shared the floor, the Spurs allowed Doncic to score 51 points.

Sochan and Doncic have only shared the court for just under seven minutes, and Doncic posted 24 points on 10/14 shooting. During that time, Sochan was able to make an impression that once again saw Doncic lollygagging on defense.

Of course, the Spurs had the NBA’s worst defense last season, but the dynamic duo of Doncic and Kyrie Irving will have to play against Wemby, Sochan, and Devin Vassell. If they somehow get past that trio, Zach Collins–who isn’t a slouch–will be waiting for them at the rim.

Last season, in two matchups, Doncic averaged 39.5 points against the Spurs. With a new approach, an anchor on defense, and someone to get into Doncic’s head, that should change when this season tips off.