Mavericks Film Study: Dončić-Thompson-Irving Offensive Synergy Shines in Season-Opening Win Over Spurs

A breakdown of how Luka Dončić and Klay Thompson's offensive synergy powered the Mavericks to a season-opening win over the Spurs, with insights on key plays and adjustments.

Photo via Nick White

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks (1-0) kicked off their 2024-25 NBA season with a 120-109 victory over the San Antonio Spurs (0-1) on Thursday night, led by Klay Thompson’s impressive franchise-record setting debut. Thompson delivered six three-pointers, scoring 22 points in his first game with Dallas, setting the tone for a team looking to build on last season’s Finals appearance.

“I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Tonight was a great start. But I’m not satisfied,” Thompson said postgame. “We have so much basketball ahead. One good win at home is not going to satisfy any of us. We want to be really, really good this year and get back to where they were at last year.”

Luka Dončić orchestrated the offense with a near triple-double, posting 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Kyrie Irving added 15 points. The trio’s synergy became more evident as the game progressed, helping Dallas overcome early struggles and power through a dominant second half.

“It’s easy to play with a guy like that,” Dončić said of Thompson. “It makes my life, and Kai’s, easier; it makes the whole team’s life easier. It’s a lot of space, so it’s great.”

With Thompson’s shooting opening up the floor and Dončić’s playmaking guiding the offense, the Mavericks showcased a variety of creative sets and adjustments to pick apart the Spurs' defense. Dallas displayed an intriguing approach to creating advantages based on their versatile talents in the offense.

Here's an in-depth look at how Dallas executed their offensive game plan and succeeded in key moments:

Early Feeling Out Process

Teams tend to have a good idea of how the opposition will approach guarding them from a base perspective. Against the Spurs, a great example of how the Mavericks like to stick Jeremy Sochan onto Luka Dončić and avoid switching occurred when they ran a Ram Double Drag Ghost Empty play. This play tends to come with a decoy action, like a pin-in screen, but as you can see, Harrison Barnes recognized this and showed help. Dončić wouldn’t have a clean driving lane, so he got back behind the three-point line using a step-back jumper.