Mavs-Spurs preview: Wembanyama show comes to town; Luka set to return

Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season has been bittersweet, to say the least.

The San Antonio Spurs’ 7-4 center has put up fine numbers in the first third of the season, averaging 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds. The future looks bright, for sure.

But the here and now isn’t much to talk about. It certainly isn’t any sort of victory tour in Wembanyama’s first season, because victories have been hard to come by.

The Spurs are dead last in the Western Conference with a 4-23 record as they come into American Airlines Center on Saturday night. They recently lost 18 in a row before beating the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 15.

Since then, they’ve lost three in a row.

Rebuilding is tough in the NBA, even when you have a budding superstar to build around.

But the Spurs do have intriguing pieces making up their core beyond Wembanyama.

Keldon Johnson has proven to be a solid scorer and second-year, 6-8 point guard Jeremy Sochan has taken a nice step this season. The former Baylor standout is averaging 10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.

But while the pieces are growing together, the Spurs haven’t been able to enjoy much success.

• The Mavericks don’t expect any sympathy, but they are enduring a brutal injury run. Things should improve tonight. Luka Dončić was not included on the afternoon injury report. If he returns, it will help, obviously. But the Mavericks still are without eft quad tightness. Still out: Kyrie Irving (right heel), Dereck Lively II (left ankle), Josh Green (right elbow), Maxi Kleber (right small toe).
• With their first three-game losing streak of the season, they have slipped into second place in the Southwest Division behind New Orleans after the Mavericks were bounced 122-96 Friday at Houston. In that game, they shot just 34.7 percent overall and were 7-of-40 (17.5 percent) from three-point range.
• The Spurs have have lost 10 in a row and are 2-11 overall on the road. Their two wins away from home both came in Phoenix in consecutive games in the first 10 days of the season.
• The Spurs have not been a particularly physical team so far this season. They are last in the NBA in free throws made and attempted, taking fewer than 19 per game. They also are 27^th in both scoring and scoring defense.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (4-23) at MAVERICKS (16-12)

When/where: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, American Airlines Center, Dallas.

TV: Bally’s Sports Southwest.

Radio: 97.1 FM The Freak; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish).

X: @ESefko