Victor Wembanyama has attracted a lot of attention but the West champions remind us they can be even better with Klay Thompson (Video)

DALLAS — Expressions of surprise were common in many eyes at the American Airlines Center Thursday night, starting with Klay Thompson.

The Dallas Mavericks newcomer was so shocked that he was so wide open for a fourth-quarter three-pointer that he used a rhythmic dribble to get his body right at the rim.

Before the ball left his hand, Luka Dončić, who made the pass, was heading towards the field and was literally saying this: “You let me have this guy on my team?”

This view is echoed by San Antonio Spurs second-year phenom Victor Wembanyama; He himself was overwhelmed by the extra attention he was receiving, with hands waving towards him and bodies lunging at him.

Wembanyama’s coming out party was postponed as a reminder that Thompson is arguably one of the five best shooters in NBA history and that the Mavericks are Western Conference champions and have no plans to give up the title just because the conference has become even stronger at the top.

Dončić shook off the rust of the summer and the Mavericks showed no mercy against the Spurs on Thursday night, while Thompson showed none, either. Thompson’s six 3-pointers were a team record for a player in his first game, as he scored 22 points in Dallas’ 120-109 victory.

The second half of Wembanyama’s rookie year already has Defensive Player of the Year and many others cementing his title as MVP in the not-too-distant future. But he was treated roughly by fellow draftees Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, who served in the middle during Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals.

Wembanyama’s final numbers looked impressive enough with 17 points and 9 rebounds, but he had unexpected difficulties with his outlook, missing 13 of 18 shots. The addition of the experienced Chris Paul also didn’t look promising and it’s easy to imagine that a tough night at Wembanyama and Paul’s debut for Spurs were linked struggles.

But the night was more about Dallas; a team that, despite running throughout the spring, acted somewhat like an afterthought. Minnesota is a trendy pick to make the Finals, but it’s certainly no trender than the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had the best record in the conference last year.

The Denver Nuggets actually won the NBA championship in 2023, and there are always discussions about big club franchises in Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

Faith in Dallas is whispered, not proclaimed through a bullhorn. Thompson’s finish in Golden State — a proud veteran who couldn’t find a place on the only team he’s ever known — caused some to dislike him over the summer.

But despite the mire of free agency negotiations, it’s worth noting that he shot 39% from 3-point range last season and 41% after the All-Star break. He probably won’t be the same player he was before, as he will turn 35 this season before All-Star weekend, but he can still be effective.

And playing alongside Dončić, the NBA’s leading field goal scorer, means great looks will be easy to come by — like that too-good-to-be-true triple with a minute remaining in the fourth. This rhythmic dribbling is because he tends to overthink, but here he can catch the ball and make it fly.

“It doesn’t mean anything because growing up we were taught to be the best basketball player; you’ve got to jump the highest, you’ve got to run the fastest,” Thompson said. “But somehow Luka defies this. He plays at his own pace and drives the game better than I’ve ever seen anyone do it.

“It’s great to be the recipient of this.”

Thompson added that he was grateful for the production to ensure Dončić “didn’t look stupid” but that would be difficult tonight, or any night.

There is plenty of space in the half court, but playing with Dončić and Kyrie Irving, who is a supreme creator in his own right, means real estate will be as plentiful as possible as these two need to be watched at all times.

“Klay is patient and we’re trying to find his spot,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “When he’s not shooting, Klay can put the ball on the floor and make decisions. We’ve talked about that in the past. When there are new guys, our job is to hopefully get their feet in the ground. I think you can see his feet are solid on the ground, he’s comfortable here and he’s enjoying it.”

This was the emotion of the first game and Spurs were the side that were away from the title tie. There will be nights where Thompson struggles, where his feet can’t move as much defensively, but that trio seems to work pretty well offensively because even if he’s closed, he can’t be left open.

“Like I said, this is a lot of space for me and Kai (Irving); not just for Klay, but for everyone,” Dončić said. “You can’t leave Klay open. You can’t leave Kai open. So… it’s going to be tough defensively, but we have to move forward game by game.”

Don? A night with eight assists.

Irving and Lively II scored 15 points each, while Lively added 11 rebounds and 6 assists.

Thompson played with Irving, with whom he competed in multiple NBA Finals in the Warriors-Cavaliers rivalry, and Spurs forward Harrison Barnes, with whom the Warriors won a championship during their first run.

It shows that nothing lasts forever and the only consistency is change; Therefore, being flexible is the best trait. The problem isn’t that last season didn’t leave a mark in Golden State or that this year will be smooth sailing.

It just means things are different.

“Being in the NBA makes you grateful,” Thompson said. “You look around, you see the guys you came in with are still playing at a high level, especially guys like Chris Paul. So now when I talk to CP I’m like, ‘Man, I’d chase you for 40 minutes.’ “I used to hate his bravery, now we’re good friends.”

After a great first night with many more tests on the horizon, Thompson is on the road to face another good friend of his, Kevin Durant, on the Phoenix Suns in a few days.