Ranking 9 most important early-season national TV games on the 2024-25 NBA schedule

4. How much of a jump should we expect from Victor Wembanyama? - San Antonio Spurs @ Dallas Mavericks - Wednesday, October 23

On the second night of the NBA season, the San Antonio Spurs will take on the Dallas Mavericks in what could emerge as one of the most intriguing opening week matchups. In this game, we should get a good understanding of what we can realistically expect from not only Victor Wembanyama but also from the Spurs as a whole. Going up against the defending Western Conference champion Mavs, this game could end up becoming a strong early-season measuring stick game for one of the best young teams in the league.

With the momentum that he built during France's run to a Silver Medal in the Olympics, the hype surrounding Wemby will be high. Can he carry that into the regular season with the Spurs? How big of a role will he assume for the team this season? And, perhaps most importantly, how big of a jump will he make in his development as a player?

Those questions may not be entirely answered in this game, but this early-season matchup should provide plenty of theater while also beginning to answer these prompts.