San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Praised by Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: 'Incredible!'
All eyes will be on the San Antonio Spurs and rookie Victor Wembanyama when they take on the Dallas Mavericks at Frost Bank Center on Wednesday.
Wembanyama will potentially face an elite backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, though the status of Doncic for the game is still unclear as he deals with a calf strain. If it ends up just being Irving running the show, he'll likely be meeting Wembanyama at the rim with a flurry of moves early and often while giving fans what they came to see.
From one No. 1 overall pick to another, Irving praised Wembanyama based on what he's seen so far during preseason.
"Deservedly so be the number one pick ... It's been incredible to see some of his highlights," Irving said. "And I know Pop has a diamond in the rough over there. I think the whole Spurs organization knows it."
Wembanyama showed during preseason that, despite his youth and rook for growth, he has a chance to be a dominant force in the league from Day 1. Like Irving did during the 2011-12 season while with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Doncic did in 2018-19, Wembanyama has a huge shot to win Rookie of the Year and become the third Spur to do so.
The in-state rivalry between the Spurs and Mavs will feature multiple others stops, meaning more chances to watch the show, Doncic, Irving and Wembanyama put on.
Following the season opener, the Mavs will host the Spurs on Saturday, Dec. 23 and Valentine's Day on Wednesday, Feb. 14 before heading back to San Antonio for a matchup on Tuesday, March 19.