Mavs Game Preview: Game 13 vs Spurs

Back to square one

Photo by Chandan Khanna

The Mavericks had a day of rest at home to recover from what was hopefully the low point of their season—a disappointing and unexpected loss to the Utah Jazz.

Tonight, they face the San Antonio Spurs, the team they defeated on opening night in what seemed like the start of a 2024-25 campaign. Now, after a recent four-game losing skid, the Mavericks need to go back to square one and start from scratch.

It won’t be easy, though—the tables have turned since opening night. The Spurs are in a much better groove, holding a better record than the Mavericks and looking like a serious, competitive basketball team. Dallas must prove they can be the same after their stumble in Utah. Their Texas rivals are still not a team the Mavericks should fear, especially with the Spurs playing on the second night of a back-to-back after a close NBA Cup loss to the Lakers at home last night. However, as the Jazz proved, the Mavericks need to approach every opponent with respect and focus, regardless of their stature.

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Mavs (5-7) vs Spurs (6-7)

Rest: DAL on 1 day of rest; SAS on the second night of a back-to-back (0 days of rest)

Mavs 2024-25 record vs. Spurs: 1-0

DAL injuries: Luka Dončić (probable), P.J. Washington (doubtful), Dante Exum (OUT)

SAS injuries: Jeremy Sochan (OUT), Tre Jones (OUT), updated injury report not yet submitted

SAS projected starting 5: Chris Paul (G), Stephon Castle (G), Julian Champagnie (F), Harrison Barnes (F), Victor Wembanyama (C)

SAS key reserves: Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Zach Collins, Blake Wesley

SAS Rotation:

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Three key questions heading into the game

1. How will the Mavericks respond to their last loss?

2. Will there be more tinkering with the starting five and rotation?

3. Can the Mavericks' defense finally show up?

Mavs on offense | Spurs on defense

As bleak as the last week has been, there are some positive trends. The Mavericks’ offense, although slow, is steadily improving (in this preview, I’ll highlight the trends for Dallas on both ends of the floor). As the chart shows, scoring wasn’t an issue for the Mavs in their first game against the Spurs either.

The Spurs will be without Jeremy Sochan, their designated Dončić defender in the first matchup and previous games last season. It’s likely that veteran and ex-Maverick Harrison Barnes takes on that assignment now, while rookie Stephon Castle gets tested against Kyrie Irving.

Dončić and the Mavericks found a lot of success in the first game attacking Victor Wembanyama in drop coverage. For some positive vibes and nicer memories of Mavs basketball, you can revisit how Dončić dissected the Spurs with Spain pick-and-roll actions in that matchup. Hopefully, we see more of these three-man actions tonight, leveraging Thompson’s and Irving’s gravity as the guard screeners.

With 39-year-old Chris Paul, the Mavericks always have an alternative target to attack if things don’t work out against the Spurs’ bigs in pick-and-roll. But, as we’ve seen so far this season—especially with Dončić—the Mavs’ offense is less about the opponent or coverage and more about their own focus and execution.

Mavs on defense | Spurs on offense

Defense is where things are spiraling downward—and where the turnaround needs to begin. Don’t let the Mavericks’ overall defensive ranking (still 7th overall) deceive you: during their four-game losing streak, the defense has fallen off a cliff, allowing 122.3 points per 100 possessions—the second-worst mark in the NBA during this stretch.