SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs are ready to tip off the 2024-25 season at the Dallas Mavericks with two veterans on the roster, point guard Chris Paul and forward Harrison Barnes, who they didn’t have last season.
Last season, the Spurs had the youngest roster in the NBA, with an average player age of 23.52 years.
With the addition of Paul, 39, and the 32-year-old Barnes, the Spurs have moved up a notch with the second-youngest roster this season, with an average player age of 24.70.
This season, the Oklahoma City Thunder has the youngest roster at 24.58 years old.
Entering his 20th season in the NBA, Paul is thrilled to team up with Victor Wembanyama and play for head coach Gregg Popovich.
“Absolutely. I’m excited,” Paul said. “I’m excited. It’s a privilege to still get a chance to go out and compete. Great group of guys here, a great organization, and, you know, this is Day 1 of a long season.”
Popovich said he has an idea for the starting lineup, but they still have things to work out, and it’s not set in stone.
If Barnes knew the starting five, he wouldn’t let on when asked on Tuesday after practice.
“No. I think the season’s going to be fluid,” Barnes said. “Just based off matchups, health, availability, things like that. So, I think for us the message is in practices and in games is to be just ready.”
Last season, the Spurs went 22-60 for the second straight year, and this year, Las Vegas predicts San Antonio’s win total at 35.5, a 13 to 14-win improvement.
Based on last season’s final standings in the Western Conference, that’s still not good enough to make the NBA’s Play-In Tournament.
Some people are unsure how good this Spurs team can be, and of course, that rests in the players’ hands.
“I think we’re in control of that,” said Paul. “You know, we got (sic) to show up day in and day out. We got to compete. But I think we just got (sic) to take it one day at a time. You know, I was telling some of the guys we could come out and win our first game by a lot, come out, lose it by a lot. But it’s a long season. You know, you can never get too high. I never get too low.”
The Spurs will have a tough test right out of the gate against the defending Western Conference champions, the Dallas Mavericks. In the offseason, the Mavericks added 3-point ace Klay Thompson to join Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Per the Spurs injury report, the only player out for this game is Devin Vassell, who’s coming back from a right third metatarsal head, stress reaction surgery.
KSAT 12 Sports Director Larry Ramirez is in Dallas for continuing coverage of the Spurs’ season opener against the Mavericks. Join him for a pregame report Thursday on KSAT 12 News at 5 p.m. and postgame coverage Thursday on the Nightbeat at 10 p.m.