"Looked A Bit Slower" - Stephen A. Smith Sounds The Alarm on Anthony Davis' Future With Mavericks As Victor Wembanyama Cooks Him In Season Opener

Victor Wembanyama had a dominant season opener, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 125-92 rout of the Dallas Mavericks. Wembanyama put up 40 points and 15 rebounds in 30 minutes of playing time, outplaying Mavericks' star Anthony Davis, who had 22 points and 13 rebounds.

On ESPN's First Take, analyst Stephen A. Smith sounded the alarm on Davis' future in Dallas as he expressed concerns about his mobility and defensive prowess after guarding Wembanyama in their season-opening loss.

"I love AD. He can average 28 and 12 in his sleep. When I look at you, it's the season opener. I'm looking at him like, what do I see different? He still looked heavy. He didn't look fast. He looked a bit slower," Stephen A. said. "I need to see more because you're the dude that they said it's okay to trade Luka (Doncic) for," he added.

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Davis was traded to the Mavericks in a shocking deal that brought the Mavericks' former star Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers last February.

Davis, who is a 10-time All-Star and an NBA champion with the Lakers, is expected to lead the Mavericks alongside rookie Cooper Flagg this season. The team is also waiting for the return of Kyrie Irving, who tore his ACL late in last season.

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Stephen A. Smith believes Anthony Davis should dominate to justify Mavericks' trade of Luka Doncic

The Doncic-Davis trade had been seen as one of the biggest shockers in NBA history. Following the deal, the Mavericks' front office received the brunt of angry fans as they felt they were robbed of the deal.

According to Stephen A. Smith, Davis' performances will only justify the Mavericks' trade of Doncic, urging him to step up his game following the team's subpar performance in the season opener against the Spurs.

"If you're that guy, you've got to be the dude that you were in the first half of your first game as a Dallas Maverick after you got traded," he said, referring to his first in Dallas against the Houston Rockets where he put up 24 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists in the first half before falling with a groin injury. "You got to be that dude all the time because that's what's going to justify the move that was made."

The Mavericks will look to bounce back against the Washington Wizards on Oct. 24 as they hunt for their first win of the season.

Edited by Rob Andrew Lo