Victor Wembanyama vs Dereck Lively II: Who had the better NBA debut?

Two Texas teams, the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, faced each other in their 2023-2024 season opener and they did not disappoint. Victor Wembanyama, touted as the biggest prospect since LeBron James, made his NBA debut against two of the best guards in the league today – Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. However, it seems that someone else stole the show, Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II.

The Spurs weren’t able to stop Doncic as he put up a 3o-point triple-double (33 points, 10 assists, and 13 rebounds) while Irving also put on a show with 22 points, 6 dimes, and 2 boards. But, the biggest surprise of the night is the 2023 12th overall pick, Dereck Lively II, who had a memorable debut.

Dereck Lively II slightly outplays No.1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama on their NBA debut

The Duke standout was doing everything on the court against Wembanyama and the Spurs. The 19-year-old big man did a little bit of everything and even did so efficiently. In 31 minutes of play, Lively II posted 16 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block while shooting 7-for-8 from the field.

On the other hand, Victor Wembanyama had a slow start but went on a scoring barrage in the fourth quarter. Wemby ended the game with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. However, Dereck Lively II‘s edge over Wembanyama is the fact that he played gracefully and moved like a veteran. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd thought that the young center played “great”.

Meanwhile, Luka Doncic also had huge praises for Lively II and even said “he played f—-ng amazing” live on air. The Mavericks secured their first win over the Spurs, 126-119. Truly, Dereck Lively II outshined Wembanyama during their NBA debut. Dallas and Santonio will meet again on a Christmas game, on December 24. They’ll also face each other next year, on February 15 and March 20.