Spurs 2023-24 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions

Victor Wembanyama's NBA debut will come Oct. 25 against the Dallas Mavericks.

The NBA set the debut for the most-hyped No. 1 draft prospect since LeBron James on Thursday, as they announced the schedule for all 30 teams for the 2023-24 season.

Wembanyama's arrival will provide considerable hype and attention to a Spurs team that won just 22 games last season and has not made the playoffs for four straight years. The recent downturn in fortunes did not result in many draft-day prizes until the lottery balls swung in the Spurs' direction in May, landing them Wembanyama in the process.

This projects as another tough year for Gregg Popovich and Co., with a mismatched roster built around a still-developing 19-year-old.

2023-24 Spurs Schedule Details

Season Opener: vs. Dallas Mavericks (Oct. 25, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Championship Odds: +250000 (FanDuel Sportsbook)

Full Schedule: NBA.com

Top Matchups

Charlotte Hornets

We got a preview of the matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in summer league, but neither Wembanyama nor Brandon Miller were particularly impressive. Wemby turned in a nine-point dud on 2-of-12 shooting, while Miller wasn't much better in his 5-of-15 outing, though he did finish with a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double.

The top picks will get to face off for the first time when the Hornets visit the Spurs on Jan. 12.

While the hype will be palpable, this isn't your typical 1-2 matchup. There was absolutely no debate between Wembanyama and Miller on any draft board. Every rankings had Wembanyama as the top player in the class; the debate largely centered on Miller vs. Scoot Henderson for who would follow the 7-footer up.

The Hornets chose Miller, in large part because of his fit on a roster that already includes LaMelo Ball as a lead ball-handler.

Even if there wasn't much of a debate between Miller and Wembanyama, Miller isn't lacking in confidence in himself. The Alabama product said he viewed himself as the best prospect in the 2023 class, though he showed deference to Wembanyama's physical prowess.

"For me, I feel like I'm No. 1. But you know, you can't beat 7-5, 8-foot wingspan," Miller told Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. "So, I mean, the guy's an animal. I respect him."

Miller will get his first crack at showing the Spurs made a mistake early next season.

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Los Angeles Lakers

The most-hyped prospect since LeBron James faces off against the man himself.

Direct comparisons between LeBron and Wembanyama are impossible—as they often are when it comes to 7-footers with guard-like handles—but it's fair to say Wemby owes much of the freedom he's been given to the path paved by James.

"Positionless" basketball is a concept born out of James' brilliance. In the eras before James' NBA arrival, too often bigger players were pigeonholed into roles where they were not allowed to handle the ball from a young age, forcing them to be one-dimensional.

James' transcendence and ability to move with ease through four positions on the basketball court led to some loosening of constraints, ones that have dripped down into youth basketball.

As James considers his own basketball mortality—he contemplated retirement after last season—Wembanyama enters the league 20 years later in hopes of stepping into his considerable shoes.

James has consistently embraced the next generation, so it will be interesting to see what type of on-court interactions they have.

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Season Forecast

The Spurs are not a playoff team. They were a jumble of thrown-together spare parts last season, and their purposeful tank job paid off with the biggest prize basketball has seen since 2003.

Unfortunately, they're still mostly a jumble of thrown-together spare parts. San Antonio did not make any major signings in free agency despite considerable cap space, instead choosing to continue the rebuild process by taking on unwanted contracts and role players in exchange for draft picks.

No matter how great Wembanyama is, this is going to be another very bad Spurs team that will rank near the bottom of the Western Conference.

San Antonio's cap sheet remains clean for next summer and perhaps the team will be more attractive to big names once Wembanyama shows what he can do on the floor. For now, though, the only reason to watch the Spurs will be for the development of basketball's next great hope.

Record prediction: 30-52