Wearing No. 1, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama – the top pick in the June draft and the most anticipated player to make his debut since LeBron James in 2003 – started slow, suffered through foul trouble and then delivered a string of tantalizing fourth-quarter highlights.
Wembanyama had 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal in his NBA debut Wednesday. It won’t be remembered as one of the great rookie debuts of all-time as Dallas topped San Antonio 126-119, but it still will be remembered.
Wembanyama, 19, had just six points through three quarters – all coming on two 3-pointers in the first quarter. He picked up his third and fourth fouls early in the third quarter and went to the bench with his fifth foul with 11:34 remaining in the fourth.
He re-entered the game with 7:12 left and went on a mini-scoring spree, putting up nine points in three minutes. He made another 3, put home an alley-oop, had a dunk and drilled a mid-range jumper.
With Wembanyama generating excitement and Luka Doncic scoring a game-high 33 points and recording a triple-double with 13 rebounds and 10 assists, it was what everyone wanted to see.
One performance is not a referendum on what Wembanyama will or won’t be this season and beyond. But this was a strong start and showed glimpses of what he can be as he develops, learns the NBA game and puts it all together.
At 7-3 and with an elite skillset, the tools are there. That was evident early. He blocked Kyrie Irving’s shot on Dallas’ first possession of the game, and he had two rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot two minutes into the game. His first NBA points came on a 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 8:24 left in the first quarter, and he made another 3 later in the quarter.
Then, he went through a difficult stretch that sent him to the bench. But even when on the court, he didn’t force much offensively, showing patience for someone with such high expectations. He ended up with five turnovers, but two came on offensive fouls.
And then in the fourth quarter, he found an electrifying zone that revealed what the hype is all about.
Here are the winners and losers of Wednesday's busy NBA slate:
Brad Stevens traded for Kristaps Porzingis in the summer and Jrue Holiday just before training camp opened. Porzingis scored 30 points on 8-for-15 shooting and had eight rebounds and four blocks. While Holiday had just nine points, he contributed four rebounds, three blocks and two assists. While trades are never easy, they’re playing for a title contender.
Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama had nine of his 15 points in a three-minute stretch of the fourth quarter and also had five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. It took Wembanyama time to find a flow, spending considerable time on the bench in the second half with foul trouble. But when he found it, it looked fabulous.
Fifteen of the 24 teams playing Wednesday scored at least 110 points, including 143 points from Indiana and 130 points from Sacramento.
Just one game had both teams under 100 points, and 21 of 24 teams scored at least 100.
Zion Williamson, playing his first game since Jan. 2, started slowly with seven points in the first half but ended with 23 points and seven rebounds and scored the Pelicans’ final 12 points of the game in a 111-104 victory against Memphis.
Can we just see more of this with them on the court together most of the season: Paul George had 27 points, and Kawhi Leonard had 23 points in a 123-111 victory against Portland. They were a combined 20-for-34 from the field, and oh, Russell Westbrook contributed 11 points and 13 assists.
The Mavericks didn’t let Victor Wembanyama start his career with a victory, and Luka Doncic made sure of that with a triple-double: 33 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
In his first game with Cleveland after leaving Miami in free agency, Max Strus had 27 points and made seven 3-pointers in the Cavs’ 114-113 victory against Brooklyn.
In a loss, Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas scored 36 points off the bench, the most points for a reserve in a season-opening game in NBA history.
Even though Young had 23 points and nine assists, he was 4-for-19 from the field and 1-for-9 on 3s, and the Hawks lost at home to Charlotte. The Hawks shot 17.2% on 3s.
There is the promise of a better day for the Rockets, but that day wasn’t Wednesday. Orlando trounced Houston 116-86 in coach Ime Udoka’s debut with the team.
Six-point leads are nothing in basketball, but the Knicks were up 101-95 against Boston with 3:39 to go in the fourth quarter and lost 108-104.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Anthony Edwards had 26 points and 14 rebounds. But they were a combined 16-for-52 from the field in a 97-94 loss to Toronto.
— Jeff Zillgitt
(All times Eastern)
San Antonio Spurs fans finally got what they wanted to see in the fourth quarter — a Victor Wembanyama slam.
Wembanyama spent a majority of his Spurs debut on the bench in foul trouble, but head coach Gregg Popovich unleashed the alien with 7:12 remaining in the game as the Spurs trailed 108-103. His presence was instantly felt as Wembanyama rattled off nine of the Spurs’ next 12 points to tie the game, 115-115.
Wembanyama slammed down an alley-oop dunk and followed it up with a 3-pointer. In the Spurs’ next possession, Wembanyama was fouled by the Mavericks’ Maxi Kleber as he dunked another ball. He released a triumphant scream, but missed the free throw shot. He later connected on a 12-footer.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving took over down the stretch, though, as the Mavericks won the game, 126-119. Wembanyama finished his NBA debut with 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including a 3-for-5 mark from 3, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. — Cydney Henderson
San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama played just 3 minutes and 23 seconds in the third quarter after picking up his fourth foul at 8:37 of the quarter. He had four turnovers in the quarter – two coming on offensive fouls.
He also didn’t take a shot in the quarter.
His initial minutes at the start of the fourth quarter were short-lived when he collected his fifth foul 26 seconds into the quarter. Wembanyama has been stuck on six points since the first quarter. — Jeff Zillgitt
San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama had six points in the first half. His four shots were all 3-pointers, and he made two – his first with 8:24 left in the first quarter and his second with 1:51 left in the first.
He also had three rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in his 12 first-half minutes. He picked up his second foul in the first quarter, but the Spurs will be judicious with his minutes all season.
San Antonio led Dallas 68-64 at halftime. Devin Vassell has 15 points for the Spurs, and Luka Doncic leads the Mavs with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. — Jeff Zillgitt
With 8:24 left in the first quarter, San Antonio Spurs rookie center Victor Wembanyama scored his first NBA points – a 3-pointer from the top of the arc.
Wembanyama’s first game has been the most anticipated debut since LeBron James’ first NBA game in 2003.
Wembanyama jumped center against Dallas’ Maxi Kleber, and he won the tip. He blocked a shot by Kyrie Irving on his first defensive possession and had two rebounds, one block and one assist in the first two minutes. Wembanyama missed his first shot, a 3-point attempt.
Mindful of the prized rookie's minutes, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich subbed out Wembanyama five minutes into the first quarter. — Jeff Zillgitt
Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward had 10 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, one block and one steal as six Hornets scored in double figures in a 116-110 victory against Atlanta. LaMelo Ball had 15 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, and P.J. Washington scored a game-high 25 points with Terry Rozier right behind with 24 points. Trae Young was just 4-for-19 from the field and 1-for-9 on 3s, but made 14 of 15 free throws, ending up with 23 points and nine assists. — Jeff Zillgitt
Sidelined for the final 70 games of last season because of an injury, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham scored a game-high 30 points but Miami beat the Pistons 103-102 in a game where no points were scored in the final 1:43. Jimmy Butler was his usual self for the Heat: 19 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, two steals. — Jeff Zillgitt
Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons didn’t play a game after the All-Star break last season because of injuries, and he missed the entire 2021-22 season.
Simmons had four points on 2-for-6 shooting and 10 rebounds and nine assists in Cleveland’s 114-113 victory. His ability to return to some semblance of his former self when he was an All-Star is vital to Brooklyn’s success.
Cleveland trailed 111-105 with 1:24 remaining but completed the comeback behind Donovan Mitchell. The Cavs guard scored seven of his team’s final nine points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 12.7 seconds left.
Cam Thomas had 36 points off the bench for the Nets. — Jeff Zillgitt
Former New York Knicks center Kristaps Porzingis always enjoyed playing in Madison Square Garden.
It showed on Wednesday, this time with Porzingis a member of the Boston Celtics, who acquired him from Washington in the offseason. Porzingis had 30 points (15 in the first quarter, 12 in the fourth quarter), eight rebounds and four blocks, and Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 34 points and added 11 rebounds in Boston’s 108-104 victory over the Knicks. — Jeff Zillgitt
Houston Rockets star Jalen Green tried to put the Orlando Magic’s Jonathan Isaac on a poster. Isaac wasn’t having it.
In the final seconds of the third quarter, Green charged the rim and went up for a dunk over Isaac, who jumped to contest. Isaac got the better of Green and denied him at the rim.
Isaac flexed after the play and stood over Green, who appeared to hit his head on the court as he fell down. Isaac was whistled for a taunting technical foul and Green made the technical free throw.
The Magic went on to win 116-86. — Cydney Henderson
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson played in just 29 games last season and missed the final 3½ months of the season with an injury.
Williamson had a tough return to the 2023-24 regular season, scoring just three points (all on free throws) and missing two attempts from the field through the first 22 minutes of the first half of the Pelicans’ game against Memphis, which is without Ja Morant who is serving a 25-game suspension to start the season.
However, Williamson, who played 15 minutes, had two dunks in the final 70 seconds of the second quarter, going into halftime with seven points, two assists and one rebound.
Williamson ended up with 23 points — he scored New Orleans' final 12 points of the game — seven rebounds and three assists in the Pelicans' 111-104 victory. Memphis guard Desmond Bane scored a game-high 31 points. — Jeff Zillgitt
Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren was the No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft but missed all of last season with a foot injury.
He played in his first regular-season game against Chicago and had four points, two assists, one rebound and one steal in the first quarter.
The Thunder are one of the intriguing, up-and-coming teams in the league after a surprising 40-win season in 2022-23 behind the play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams and Lu Dort.
Holmgren finished with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists in the Thunder's 124-104 victory. Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points and 10 assists. — Jeff Zillgitt
Jalen Johnson is ready for takeoff.
With less than a minute remaining in the first quarter of the Hawks’ matchup vs. the Hornets, Johnson stole a pass from Charlotte star LaMelo Ball and pushed the ball up the floor to Trae Young. Young threw a lob off the backboard that was caught and dunked by Johnson.
The Hawks have a 52-51 halftime lead over the Hornets. Johnson had 13 first-half points off the bench, while Young added 10 points and three assists. Terry Rozier leads Charlotte with 13 points. — Cydney Henderson
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who made his first All-Star team last season and starred for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup in the summer, is on the verge of entering MVP-caliber territory.
And he’s showing why in the season-opener against Toronto. Edwards had 12 points (six on 3-pointers, four at the free throw line) and four rebounds in the first quarter.
Edwards ended up with 26 points and 14 rebounds, but the Raptors grabbed a 97-94 victory. — Jeff Zillgitt
New Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis, traded to Boston from Washington in the offseason, scored 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting and also had two rebounds and a blocked shot in the first quarter against the New York Knicks.
Teammate Jayson Tatum had 10 points, three rebounds and a steal as Boston took a 30-18 lead into the second quarter.
"Honestly I didn’t feel that good in the beginning, but my teammates found me some open shots," Porzingis said in a between-quarters interview. "...Obviously, these guys draw so much attention, I’m just wide open and making the shots."
The Celtics made massive offseason changes, also acquiring Jrue Holiday in the aftermath of the Damian Lillard-to-Milwaukee deal. Holiday also started and had three points, two blocks, one steal and one rebound in the quarter.
Al Horford didn’t start – just the 11th time in 1,014 career games that he wasn’t in the starting lineup. — Jeff Zillgitt
Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the June draft who makes his NBA regular-season debut Wednesday against Dallas (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
It is the most anticipated rookie debut since LeBron James’ first game in 2003.
Height: 7 feet, 3 inches tall. Wing span: 8 feet. Skillset: Elite.
With towering size and length, Wembanyama unlocks secret doors, and none more tantalizing than the ability to play smallball without going to a smaller lineup. He defends inside and on the perimeter, blocks shots, rebounds, handles the basketball, creates shots for himself and teammates, drives to the rim, shoots from outside.
Expectations for Wembanyama are out of proportion, but not surprising given the era of searing hot takes and 24/7 social media posts. Remember, Kobe Bryant started just six games and averaged 7.6 points his rookie season, and James didn’t make the All-Star team in 2003-04 – though he averaged 20.9 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds. You knew it was the start of something great.
And Wembanyama brings that same once-in-a-generation potential. — Jeff Zillgitt
Rookie Victor Wembanyama is set to make his NBA debut for the San Antonio Spurs, but he already can point out one difference between basketball in the United States and his native country of France.
“Its also different between the states and Europe. Here, players are like predators,” he said in a sit-down with ESPN’s Malika Andrews. “People play like it's life or death."
He said it’s “motivation that I’ve got to use.”
The Spurs will face the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Wembanyama said he doesn’t feel nervous facing the Mavericks, just “excitement,” especially since he’s been a fan of both Doncic and Irving before joining the league himself.
“I have great memories of watching these guys,” he added. “I actually saw Luka (Doncic) play in Spain and Kyrie (Irving), some memories of watching the NBA as a kid.” — Cydney Henderson
(All times Eastern)
The NBA will return to a traditional East vs. West All-Star Game format for the 73rd event in Indianapolis on Feb. 18, the league announced Wednesday.
Captains will no longer pick teams regardless of conference, and instead of using a targeted score to determine a winner in the fourth quarter, the game will return to a normal scoring format with a 12-minute fourth quarter.
The 12 All-Stars from each conference will be selected the same way – starters voted by fans, players and media and the reserves voted by coaches.
The league has spent years tinkering with the All-Star format to put a more entertaining product on the court. Some changes have worked, but last year’s All-Star Game in Salt Lake City was a dud.
“The game can't be an afterthought where guys don't play, and we've talked to players about putting on a great show on the last night on Sunday night – actually getting out there and competing, and we didn't like where it went last year,” executive vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars told a small group of reporters two weeks ago.
“There's a protocol to the All-Star game. There was a time that you may have gone half speed in the first half, and then in the second half, guys will go, ‘OK, let's go.’ And in the second half, everybody understood, they're going to play now. And so we're just trying to get back to that kind of stuff. No one has said, ‘Hey man, our games have to look like a playoff game. That would be silly right? But there's somewhere between what we saw last year and a playoff game that's a happy medium.” — Jeff Zillgitt
The conventional wisdom in the Eastern Conference centers around a season-long collision course between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. Those are the only Tier 1 championship contenders, and everybody else is at least a rung or two down the ladder.
That may well turn out to be the case. In terms of recent playoff history and a general sense of stability, the Bucks and Celtics are miles above the Philadelphia 76ers. If star power wins the day, the current construction of the Miami Heat isn’t well-positioned to compete.
Yet the curious thing is you could have said the exact same thing had Boston and Milwaukee not made any significant changes to their rosters this past offseason. Instead, each one took a sledgehammer to its identity and a large part of what had made it so great over the last few years.
It’s easy to see the upside in pairing Damian Lillard with Giannis Antetokounmpo and adding an offensively gifted big man like Kristaps Porzingis to the mix in Boston. But what about the risks of making such a major philosophical change to teams that had played a certain way and won a certain way? If you’re Philly or Miami, and maybe even Cleveland, New York or Atlanta, there should be just enough uncertainty to believe there’s an opportunity to crack the Eastern Conference finals. — Dan Wolken
DENVER — Before taking on the Los Angeles Lakers to tip off the 2023 NBA season Tuesday, the Denver Nuggets had one more moment to celebrate the franchise’s first championship.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver presented the players, coaches and owner Stan Kroenke with enormous rings designed by Jason of Beverly Hills that featured a pullout of the championship banner and blue gems behind the Nuggets' logo on the ring’s face.
Each player got their ring one by one until Finals MVP Nikola Jokić took the court and the fans erupted.
The team then gathered at the end of the court as the championship banner was revealed through a cloud of smoke. The players posed for a photo in front of the banner with their rings before it was slowly hoisted to the rafters as Queen’s “We Are the Champions” filled the air. — Victoria Hernandez
Five consecutive NBA seasons, five different champions: Toronto, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets.
Will the Nuggets repeat? Will one of those other teams win it again? Or will another team emerge as the sixth different champ in six consecutive seasons?
Who will play in the Eastern and Western conference finals? Is Boston-Milwaukee a lock in the East? How many teams in the West start the season with a legit chance to reach the conference finals? Four? Five? Six? More?
And what about MVP? Three players born outside of the U.S. (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid) have won the past five MVPs. Is someone else ready to win the award?
Here are USA TODAY Sports staff predictions for the 2023-24 season.
An NBA-record 125 international players are on opening-night rosters, including a record 26 players from Canada and 14 from France.
The previous record was 121 players, established twice – first in 2017-18 and again in 2021-22. It’s the third consecutive season with at least 120 international players on opening rosters and the 10th consecutive season with at least 100 international players.
All 30 teams have at least one player from outside the U.S. The Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder have a league-high eight international players. The Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs each have six.
The three players who have won the past five MVPs are international stars: Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. — Jeff Zillgitt
After all these years, LeBron James – almost 39 years old and entering his 21st NBA season – is still a top-10 player.
The Los Angeles Lakers star checks in at No. 7 in USA TODAY Sports' list of the top 30 NBA players headed into the 2023-24 season. He’s joined in the top 10 by two future Hall of Famers with MVPs and multiple championships who have helped define pro basketball for the better part of the past two decades: Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.
But there is a new player in the top 10 and a change at the top. — Jeff Zillgitt
We know the NBA MVP candidates. They are the usual suspects based on the past few seasons: Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid – those three have won the past five MVPs.
Embiid won the award in 2023, Jokic in 2022 and 2021 and Antetokounmpo in 2020 and 2019 – all finished 1-2-3 last season followed by Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Dallas’ Luka Doncic finished eighth last season and fifth in 2022. He’s among the favorites again this season.
And past winners, such as Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Phoenix’s Kevin Durant, will get mentions. But keep in mind, just two players 35 or older have won MVP: Karl Malone at 36 and Michael Jordan at 35. Curry turns 36 this season and Durant just turned 35.
But who are the under-the-radar candidates on the verge of entering the MVP discussion? — Jeff Zillgitt
Every NBA season presents an opportunity for a star to take the next step, to cement a legacy and to prove the hype was worth it.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic did it last season, backing up his MVPs in 2021 and 2022 with an NBA championship and Finals MVP in June. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo earned MVP in 2019 and 2020 and led the Bucks to a title in 2021.
Is there a player or players who are ready to elevate their team the way Jokic and Antetokounmpo did? Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid? Dallas’ Luka Doncic? Memphis’ Ja Morant? New Orleans’ Zion Williamson? Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard?
The 10 players that made our list. — Jeff Zillgitt
Daryl Morey, 76ers president of basketball operations, starts the season with a problem. James Harden wants a trade and Morey tried to accommodate the request but did not find a deal beneficial to the Sixers and their championship goal.
Harden is unhappy, called Morey a liar and said he would never play for Morey, leading to a $100,000 fine for Harden from the NBA. Morey fired Doc Rivers as coach, hired Nick Nurse, who Milwaukee fired, and the Sixers are trying to win a title with 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid in his prime.
Morey has one unhappy player, and if the Sixers can’t make progress in the playoffs (nothing better than a second-round exit since 2001), Embiid could be the next player who wants out of Philadelphia. — Jeff Zillgitt
Being on the hot seat in the coaching profession doesn’t always mean win soon or get fired soon.
There are three coaches who are stepping into new situations where losing their job this season is unrealistic but realistic championship expectations exist, from ownership down through the fan base.
It’s a win-now proposition for Phoenix Suns coach Frank Vogel, Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse and Milwaukee Bucks coach Adrian Griffin. Read about them and other coaches who need to win now here. — Jeff Zillgitt
The eight-month marathon to determine the 2023-24 NBA champion begins tonight, but in just a few days, the NBA will start its first five-week sprint to determine another champion.
A new in-season tournament begins Nov. 3 – just 10 days into the season – with a few weeks of pool play. That leads to an eight-team single elimination playoff where the last team standing wins the NBA Cup and a pile of cash.
"Whether it’s international basketball, international soccer, individual sports here in the U.S., golf, tennis, fighting, racing – the idea of being able to win multiple things each year is a well-accepted practice. And, in fact, (it) creates very exciting competition throughout the calendar,” NBA executive vice president of basketball strategy and analytics Evan Wasch said.
Here's a closer look at how the tournament works. — Jim Sergent and Jeff Zillgitt
