The Best Mavs Rookie Seasons

Luka Doncic's phenomenal beginning to his rookie season has made him the heavy favorite to become only the second Maverick player to win NBA Rookie of the Year. Let's see how he stacks up with the best rookie campaigns in franchise history.

Jay Vincent (1981-82)
Mark Aguirre was supposed to be the Mavs standout rookie after the team drafted him first overall after their inaugural season. However it was the team's second round pick who ended up stealing the headlines, taking advantage while Aguirre played in only 51 games due to injury. Vincent averaged a team rookie record of 21.4 points per game on his way to being named first team All-Rookie, finishing 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting. Vincent would go on to play 5 additional solid seasons for the Mavs but would never reach the heights he did as a rookie.

Sam Perkins (1984-85)
Perkins was drafted fourth overall, a pick behind some guy named Jordan and contributed instantly to a young and talented Mavs squad. Perkins averaged 11.0 points and 7.4 rebounds as he became the team's second first team All-Rookie selection. Perkins upped his game in the postseason where he averaged 16.0 points and 10.9 rebounds in 4 playoff games.

Roy Tarpley (1986-87)
The Mavs had another All-Rookie selection with the 7th pick in the 1986 draft. Tarpley averaged 7.5 and 7.1 rebounds in his rookie season as he backed up Perkins and James Donaldson. Like Perkins he stepped his game up in the playoffs with averages of 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds. Tarpley would build on his rookie season by winning Sixth Man of the Year in his sophomore season but unfortunately drug and alcohol problems wrecked what would have a very productive career.

Jamal Mashburn (1993-94)
The second of the 3 Js to join the Mavs, Mashburn showed great promise in his rookie season on an otherwise dismal 13 win team. Mashburn averaged 19.2 points per game and finished 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting behind Chris Webber and Penny Hardaway. He also tied for the team scoring lead with the previous year's first round pick, Jim Jackson.

Jason Kidd (1994-95)
Kidd became the Mavs first and for now only Rookie of the Year, sharing the title with Grant Hill. Kidd put up 11.7 points, 7.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game but most importantly helped bump the Mavericks win total from 13 to 36. Kidd would notch 4 of his career 107 triple-doubles as a rookie including a 38 point, 11 rebound and 10 assist masterpiece in a 156-147 double overtime win at Houston on April 11. Kidd of course would go on to have a Hall of Fame career and helped lead the Mavs to the 2011 title in his second stint with the club.

Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels (2003-04)
The Mavs didn't have too many rookies contribute a lot during the long run of success in the Dirk era, but the 2003-04 season was an exception as Howard and Daniels both emerged as valuable rotation members on a 52 win team. Howard, the team's first round pick, contributed from day one putting up 8.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in 23.7 minutes per game. Daniels, an undrafted free agent, didn't play much at first but finished the year strong. In March and Arpil, Daniels put up 14.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game as he entered the starting lineup. Both Howard and Daniels ended up receiving second team All-Rookie nods.

Dennis Smith Jr. (2017-18)
In his rookie year last season, Smith put up numbers that hadn't been seen by a Mavs rookie in a long time. Starting in all 69 games he played in (nice), Smith was second on the team in scoring with 15.2 points per game as well as second in assists with 5.2 per contest. That was good enough to earn DSJ a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team. The high point of Smith's season came in late December when he became one of the youngest players ever to record a triple double when he put 21, 10 and 10 in a win at New Orleans. He followed up that performance by taking over in crunch time with 19 points in a win at OKC on New Year's Eve.

Luka Doncic (2018-19)

And now we have Luka, who is doing things previously unseen by a teenager. His 19.0 PPG leads all rookies and he also ranks second in rebounds (6.7) and assists (5.1). He's even stepped it up another notch of late, putting up 22.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 7.4 assists over his last 8 appearances. Pretty amazing stuff for someone who won't turn 20 until February 28. Despite a very strong rookie class the Mavs having their second ever Rookie of the Year seems to be a forgone conclusion, barring injuries of course. The Mavs have seen a lot of very good rookie seasons in their 39 years as a franchise but nothing like what we're currently witnessing from the Slovenian teenage Wonder Boy.

Power Ranking the Mavs

The Mavericks hot play of late has seen them rise up the Western Conference standings all the way to the 8 spot. But where does that put them in the weekly power rankings that prominent national websites put out each Monday? Let's find out.

ESPN.com: 15th (up from 18th last week)
What they said: "The Mavs have earned the right to be taken seriously again with eight wins in 10 games... The Mavs have morphed into a dominant defensive team, ranking third in the NBA with only 101.8 points per 100 possessions allowed over that 10-game stretch." 
Tim MacMahon

NBA.com: 10th (up from 11th)
What they said: "The Mavs are 2-1 in this critical stretch of six straight games against opponents that are also in the top 10 in the West, with seven guys averaging double-figures over the three so far."
John Schumann

The Athletic: 16th (up from 19th)
What they said: "Harrison Barnes, JJ Barea, and Wes Matthews have been killing opponents over these 10 games. Barnes has been their leading scorer at 20.6 points per game while making 46.7 percent of his 3-pointers. Barea is averaging over 16 points per game while making 54.1 percent of his shots. Matthews has been that archer he loves to mimic with 46.2 percent from deep. These three players are fueling this offense during this dramatic turnaround after their 3-8 start."
Zach Harper

SI.com: 15th (up from 16th)
What they said: "Dennis Smith Jr. is officially as tough as every hockey player ever after having his tooth knocked out and winning the subsequent jump ball. For the Mavericks as a whole, it was another respectable week. And Sunday’s contest against the Clippers without Luka Dončić opened the door for Harrison Barnes to continue his recent scoring tear and put up 20 points for the fourth time in the last five games."
Khadrise Rollins

CBSSports.com: 20th (up from 22nd)
What they said: "After a brutal start, the Mavericks have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They've won eight of 10, including wins against good teams: the Clippers, Warriors, Celtics, Rockets, Thunder and Jazz. One reason: Harrison Barnes. After a slow start as he recovered from a hamstring injury, Barnes has come on, scoring 28 or more points in three of his past five games."
Reid Forgrave

The Mavericks Week Ahead: November 26-December 2

A very important week awaits a Maverick team now very much in the thick of the playoff race in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. 3 conference games, all against fellow contenders, will be a good test of just where this team stacks up against the rest of the conference.

Wednesday: at Houston (7:00):

After 3 days off the Mavs will finally get back to action as they face their in-state rivals for the first time this season. The Mavs and Rockets both currently sit with .500 records, part of a 4-way-tie for 8th place in the West. The Rockets of course got off to a slow start, beginning the season 1-5. They had begun to turn things around, winning 5 straight after the de facto release of Carmelo Anthony, before losing games in Detroit and Cleveland this past weekend. The Mavs should have Dennis Smith Jr. back for this one after he missed Saturday's game due to a wrist injury. Dwight Powell could also return after missing the last 3 games with knee soreness. The Mavs have lost 8 in a row to the Rockets and haven't won in Houston since Nov. 14, 2015.

Friday: at LA Lakers (9:30)
The Mavs will look to avenge the one point loss they suffered against the Lakers on Halloween night. The Lakers are winners of 7 of the last 9 with the only losses both coming against Orlando. The Mavericks have only beatean a LeBron James led team once since the 2011 Finals, dropping 12 out of 13 meetings. The Mavs have also lost 4 out of the last 5 meeting against the Lakers, after winning the previous 14 contests between the teams. The Lakers now feature a pair of former Mavs in the middle. JaVale McGee is averaging career high 13.2 PPG while Mavs icon Tyson Chandler has made an immediate impact since signing with LA on November 6th.

Sunday: vs. LA Clippers (6:00)
The Mavericks will get their first look of the season at the surprising Clippers (13-6), who lead the Western Conference by percentage points over the Warriors. Of course this will also be DeAndre Jordan's first game facing the team he spent the first 10 years of his career playing for. Jordan is the Clippers franchise leader in games played, rebounds and blocks and is 8th all-time in scoring. Tobias Harris is having a career year for the Clippers, leading the team in both scoring (21.5 PPG) and rebounding (8.7 RPG). Meanwhile Montrezl Harrell has emerged as a Most Improved Player and 6th Man of the Year candidate, putting up 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game on 64.1% shooting from the field.

Dorian Finney-Smith is the Mavs Latest Player Development Success Story

When the Mavericks signed Dorian Finney-Smith as an undrafted free agent in the summer of 2016 not much was expected, after all undrafted players rarely make much impact in the league. But the Mavs have a history of turning undrafted important players into important pieces, with J.J. Barea being the most prominent example. And now you can add Finney-Smith's name to the list as the third year forward has emerged as an indispensable piece of the Mavs rotation.

After a solid college career at Florida, Finney-Smith was known as a excellent defender and those skills almost immediately translated to the next level. As a rookie in 2016-17, Finney-Smith earned the trust of Rick Carlisle, playing in 81 games and starting 35 of those games. While DFS showed strong defensive capability as a rookie, his offense remained very much a work in progress as he shot 37% from the field and 29% from three. After his rookie year the Mavs worked with Finney-Smith to rework his shot so he could become the 3-and-D player they desperately wanted him to be. However Finney-Smith's sophomore campaign was almost a complete wash as me missed 61 games due to knee tendinitis.

Now in his third year, the last of his rookie contract, the hard work Finney-Smith has put into his shot is finally paying off. He is averaging 9 points a game so far on 51.6% shooting from the field and a remarkable 44.4% on threes. He has made multiple threes in 9 of the 15 games and has played and scored in double-digits in 7 contests. Couple that with superb defense (he is quite easily the best defensive player on the team) and DFS is becoming more and more important to the Mavs present and future.

A good example of how much he is valued is the 40 minutes he played in Saturday's win over the Warriors as he started for the injured Wesley Matthews. In those minutes he posted 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and held Klay Thompson to 9-24 shooting including 2-11 on threes. It's clear that the Mavs are at their best when Finney-Smith is on the floor and that he complements the game of the Mavs young starts, Luka Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr. extremely well.

Immense credit is due to Finney-Smith for putting in the time to make himself such a valuable NBA player. Credit is also due to the Mavs for believing in his potential and helping develop him into the player he is today. We all know you can't win in the NBA without stars but good role players are needed as well and the Mavs have themselves a keeper in that regard with Dorian Finney-Smith.

The Biggest Blowouts in Mavs History

With the Mavs tying their second largest ever margin of victory last night with their 50 point shellacking of Utah, let's look back at the 5 biggest blowout wins in franchise victory plus one satisfying playoff romp as well.

1. November 13, 2014: Mavs 123 76ers 70
The biggest margin of victory in franchise history came against a truly horrid 76ers team, that was in the middle of a 0-17 start to the season. The Mavs led 38-10 after the first quarter and 73-29 at halftime and kept pouring it on from there. Dirk led the way with 21 points in 20 minutes, making 7-8 shots from the field. That the 76ers started such luminaries as Henry Sims and Hollis Thompson pretty much says it all about this game.

T2. Jaunuary 24, 2010: Mavs 128 Knicks 78
The Mavs first 50+ point win didn't start as anything extraordinary as their lead was only 27-25 after the first period. From there however they would outscore the Knicks 101-53 for the remaining three quarters giving them the biggest road margin in franchise history. Dirk and Jason Terry led the Mavs with 20 points a piece while Drew Gooden had 15 points and 18 rebounds. Oddly enough the Mavs would fall at home to the Knicks by 34 points later that season.

T2. November 14. 2018: Mavs 118 Jazz 68
Last night saw the Mavs win their 3rd 50+ point game of the decade, pretty remarkable since no other franchise has more that 1 such win over that time frame according to ESPN Stats and Info. The Mavs held the Jazz to a franchise opponent low for points in a half, allowing only 22 measly points in the second half. All 13 Mavericks who played were double digit pluses in plus/minus, with each player scoring at least 4 points.

4. Jaunuary 22, 2017: Mavs 122 Lakers 73
Entering the game with a 15-28 record, the Mavs did not seem like a team that was about to put a 49 point beatdown on the visiting Lakers but that's exactly what transpired. 7 different Mavs scored in double figures, led by Justin Anderson's 19. A huge reason for the margin was the 3 point line, with the Mavs shooting 17-39 from distance while the Lakers went 3-21. Brandon Ingram had a especially rough game for the Lakers shooting 2-12 from the field while fielding a -45.

5. Jaunuary 15, 1985: Mavericks 149 Warriors 104
The Mavericks poured it on the lowly Warriors, exploding for 87 points in the second half and 51 in the fourth quarter. The 149 points scored by Dallas, tied a franchise record that still stands for points in a regulation game. Mark Aguirre's 25 points and Rolando Blackman's 23 led a balanced Maverick attack as the team shot 62.8% for the game.

Bonus: May 7, 2005: Mavericks 116 Rockets 76
The biggest margin in a playoff win in team history came in game 7 of a first round series where the  Mavs came back after dropping the first 2 games at home. Everything went the Mavericks' way in Game 7 as Jason Terry led the way with 31 points while Dirk and Josh Howard both posted double-doubles. Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady combined for 60 of the Rockets 76 points as the rest of the Rockets made only 6 of their 33 shot attempts.

Breaking Down the Rookie of the Year Candidates: Luka and the Field

It's incredibly early but it certainly looks like the Mavs have a Rookie of the Year favorite with Luka Doncic. So let's breakdown the favorites for the award so far with of course young Luka leading the pack.

1. Luka Doncic: One amazing stat says all for the amazing start to Doncic's NBA career. There have only been three rookies in NBA history to put up 20 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game like Luka is currently doing. Those would be three guys named Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Oscar Robertson. Pretty extraordinary company. If he keeps this up the Slovenian teenager will be the Mavs second ever Rookie of the Year, joining Jason Kidd who shared the award with Grant Hill in 1995.

2. Deandre Ayton: The #1 overall pick is also off to a strong start, averaging a double-double of 16.1 points and 10.9 rebounds. While his team has struggled, winning only once since beating the Mavs on opening night, Ayton looks to be Luka's biggest rival for the Rookie of the Year trophy.

3. Trae Young: Young and Doncic will be forever linked by the draft day trade between their respective teams and both teams should be happy with the early results. While Young has struggled shooting the ball, shooting 28% on threes, he has still put up 18.5 points and 8.2 assists, leading the Hawks in both categories.

4. Wendell Carter: Carter, the 7th overall pick by the Bulls has really come on of late, scoring in double figures in 8 straight games after failing to do so in his first five games. He also had a stretch of three straight double-doubles last week. All in all so far in this young season, Carter is showing that those Al Horford comparisons weren't too far off.

5. Jaren Jackson Jr.: Jackson has flashed his unlimited potential, scoring at least 20 points twice already. He also showed typical rookie inconsistency by failing to score in double figures in five out of the last 8 games. That being said, Jackson is different from most rookies as he surrounded by veterans on a team off to a strong start. That he is already a solid contributor speaks well for his immense talent.

Honorable Mention: Marvin Bagley III, Shai Gilgeous-Alexnader, Mo Bamba

A Star is Born: Believe the Hype, Luka Doncic is the Future Mavs Fans Have Been Hoping For.

To say Luka Doncic went into his first NBA season with massive expectations would be a understatement. After all he is the reigning Euroleague MVP at the precocious age of 19. Not only that he led his Real Madrid squad to the Euorleague title where he was named MVP again for the Final Four. Couple that with leading Slovenia to it's first European championship in 2017 and Doncic came into the NBA as the most accomplished European prospect ever. It's early obviously, but through his first 7 games, Luka is not only meeting those great expectations, he's exceeding them.

How good has he been, well he's currently averaging 20.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists. So how many rookies younger than 21 have put up those numbers in NBA history? That would be zero*. In fact the only rookies period to put up those numbers would be Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, Elgin Baylor and Sidney Wicks, pretty select company I'd say.
Doncic's 31 point outing in Monday's overtime loss was the crowing achievement so far, as he scored nearly at will against a probable West playoff team. He might not be the athletic guy but it hardly matters. He gets to where he wants  generally and if not he can shoot the ball from range with accuracy. That's not even mentioning his ability to pass the ball, probably his greatest trait.

There will be growing pains of course, there always are for young players. For instance Doncic is averaging 4.3 turnovers per game, a number that will surely go down as the Slovenian sensation grows more comfortable playing NBA basketball. But it's amazing how much this mere teenager can do right now against the world's best players. Couple that with a promising second year player in Dennis Smith Jr. and the Mavs are in very good shape in building the core of their next contending team

 Mavs fans have blessed the last two decades by getting to watch the career of one of the NBA's all-time greats in Dirk. Now a new European wunderkind has arrived and he looks as comfortable as he can be in picking up the torch as the face of the franchise.

(*=h/t to Bobby Karalla of Mavs.com for the statistical nugget.)

Mavs at Hawks: Game 4 Preview

The Mavs (2-1) will look for a third straight win tonight in Atlanta against the rebuilding Hawks (1-2). Here's some things you should be looking out for in tonight's game.

• The main story of course is Luka Doncic vs. Trae Young, the battle of the two rookies who were traded for each other other on draft day. So far both have lived up to the considerable hype. Doncic leads the Mavs in scoring with 18.3 points per game. He's also second in rebounding (5.7 per game) and third in assists (4.3 per game). Young leads the Hawks in scoring (23.0 per game) and assists (8.3 assists per game).
• The Mavs lead the league in three points attempts per game with 43.3 attempts which would shatter the team record set last year at 32.8. For perspective in the Mavs first season of 1980-81 they averaged 2 attempts per game.
• Harrison Barnes and Devin Harris remain out with hamstring injuries. Barnes is optimistic that he will be back for Friday's game in Toronto, while Harris is expected out longer.
• While Dirk remains out, the Mavs will see the only player in the league older than the Big German, 41-year-old, Vince Carter. Carter of course spent three years in Dallas (2011-2014). This year he has started in all 3 games for the Hawks, averaging 8.3 points in 19 minutes.
• The Mavericks currently have a winning record for the first time since the end of the 2015-16 season when they were 42-40. They are attempting to start the season 3-1 for the first time since the 2014-15 season. That's a far cry from the last two seasons where they've began the year 2-13 and 2-14. 

DeAndre Jordan Is All The Mavs Could Have Hoped For And More

Three games isn't a very large sample size in the NBA obviously. That being said the first three game of DeAndre Jordan's Mavericks career is everything the team could have hoped for when they signed the big man to a one-year-deal in July, and maybe even more. Jordan of course agreed to sign with the Mavs in the summer of 2015 only to have change of heart days later. Now that he is finally in a Dallas uniform three years later, he is producing as well as any center the franchise has ever had.

Jordan was brought the Dallas to give the Mavs a presence in the middle they've do desperately lacked. On offense his ability as a lob threat and offensive rebounder make him extremely valuable, while on defense his rim protection and athleticism set him apart from more lumbering big men. Through these opening games all of things have come to fruition.

Jordan has recorded double-doubles in each of the first 3 games, the first Mavs player to accomplish that feat since Popeye Jones in 1994. After getting 11 points and 12 rebounds opening night, he has put up monster numbers in both of the Mavericks home wins. Saturday against Minnesota he put up 22 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks, becoming the first Mav to put up those numbers besides Dirk since Shawn Bradley in 1998. In last night's win over the Bulls, Jordan continued his strong play with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Also most unexpectedly Jordan has been money from the foul line, a severe Achilles heel throughout his career. He is shooting 9-10 for the young season from the charity stripe building on the career high 58% he shot last season. It's not a surprise on the other hand that DeAndre is shooting 70% from the field. His career 67.3% field goal shooting mark is the best in NBA history by a healthy margin. Interestingly enough #2 all-time is Tyson Chandler, the one and only great center in franchise history before DJ''s arrival.  Jordan has also shown impressive leadership skills encouraging and teaching his young teammates on both ends of the floor.

It's very early but the Mavs have to be thrilled with how the partnership between them and the center who once spurned them is going. It's very easy to see a long team deal in the works come next July should this continue throughout the season.

Mavs vs. Bulls: Game 3 Preview

The Mavs will look to win their second straight game at home to start the year when they face a young Bulls team tonight at 7:30 at the AAC. Here's some things to look out for in preparation for the game.

• The Mavs will once again be without Harrison Barnes and Devin Harris as they recover from hamstring injuries. They will also both be out for Wednesday's game in Atlanta. Dorian Finney-Smith will remain in the starting lineup in place of Barnes.
• Luka Doncic will look to build on a 26 point outing in Saturday's win over Minnesota. The 26 points were the second most by a teenager for the Mavs behind Dennis Smith Jr.'s 27 points scored last year against the Spurs.
• The Mavs dynamic bench duo of J.J. Barea and Dwight Powell are both off to fantastic starts. Barea is tied for the league lead in assists at 10.5 per game, while Powell has scored 35 points in 34 minutes of action on 80% shooting.
• Zach LaVine has shined on offense for the Bulls, averaging 31.5 points per game over their first two contests. LaVine was signed to a 4 year, 78 million dollar extension this off-season as the Bulls matched an offer sheet from Sacramento.
• The Mavs dropped both meetings to the Bulls last season, losing 127-124 at home on Jan. 5 as Kris Dunn erupted for 32 points. They then fell 108-100 in Chicago on March 2 as the Bulls finished the game on a 16-4 run. Of course this a very different Mavs team than the one Chicago saw last season. 

My 2018-19 NBA Predictions

West

1. Golden State
2. Houston
3. Utah
4. Oklahoma City
5. New Orleans
6. LA Lakers
7. Denver
8. San Antonio
9. Portland
10. Dallas
11. Minnesota
12. LA Clippers
13. Memphis
14. Phoenix
15. Sacramento

East

1. Boston
2. Toronto
3. Philadelphia
4. Milwaukee
5. Indiana
6. Washington
7. Miami
8. Detroit
9. Charlotte
10. Cleveland
11. Brooklyn
12. Chicago
13. Orlando
14. New York
15. Atlanta

West Finals: Golden State over Houston

East Finals: Boston over Toronto

Finals: Golden State over Boston

Awards

MVP: Anthony Davis

Rookie of the Year: Luka Doncic

Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis

Coach of the Year: Brad Stevens

MIP: Jamal Murray

Sixth Man: Julius Randle

All-NBA

First Team

F: LeBron James

F: Giannis Antetokounmpo

C: Anthony Davis

G: Stephen Curry

G: James Harden

Second Team

F: Kevin Durant

F: Kawhi Leonard

C: Joel Embiid

G: Russell Westbrook

G: Kyrie Irving

Third Team

F: Paul George

F: Ben Simmons

C: Karl-Anthony Towns

G: Chris Paul

G: Victor Oladipo

All-Rookie First Team

Luka Doncic

Deandre Ayton

Trae Young

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Collin Sexton

All-Defense First Team

F: Kawhi Leonard

F: Draymond Green

C: Anthony Davis

G: Jrue Holiday

G: Victor Oladipo

Ranking the Dirk Seasons

With Dirk Nowitzki's 21st and perhaps final season fast approaching it's time to look back and rank the previous 20 seasons of his illustrious career.

20. 98-99: Dirk's rookie campaign was far from ideal. The 20-year-old struggled to adjust to the NBA in a 50 game lockout shortened season. For the season he averaged a career low 8.2 points on only 40.5% shooting.

19. 16-17: Nagging knee injuries limited Dirk to only 54 games as the Mavs finished with a losing record for the first time since Dirk's second season. His 14.2 points per game were the lowest since his rookie year. The highlight of the year was when Dirk scored his 30,000th career point on March 7.

18. 17-18: Dirk bounced back from his injury plagued 16-17, playing in 77 games in his 20th year, highlighted by a three point percentage of 40.9%.

17: 12-13: Injuries caused Dirk to miss 29 games at the start of the season as the Mavs missed the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. Dirk and his teammates grew beards until they got to a .500 record, which eventually happened in the season's final week.

16. 99-00: Dirk arrived as a NBA player in his second season, finishing 2nd the Most Improved Player voting and more than doubling his scoring average from his rookie year.

15. 15-16: Dirk led the Mavs in scoring for the last time at 18.3 points per game as the Mavs made the playoffs for the 15th time in 16 years, losing to the Thunder in 5 games in the first round.

14. 14-15: Dirk made the 13th and final All-Star game a memorable one by finishing an alley-oop off a Stephen Curry pass. A promising start to the season for the team was done in my the ill-fated trade for Rajon Rondo.

13. 11-12: The Mavs championship defense didn't go as planned as they lost Tyson Chandler in free agency and the trade for Lamar Odom ended up being a disaster. On the bright side Dirk was a third team All-NBA selection, his 12th (in a row) and final All-NBA selection of his career.

12. 03-04: A weird year featuring a team heavy on offense but lacking on the other end of the floor. Dirk was named 3rd team All-NBA and led the NBA in points per game in the playoffs but the Mavs lost to the Kings in 5 in the first round.

11. 13-14: Dirk and the Mavs bounced back from missing the playoffs in 2013 with a 49 win campaign and a 12th all-star nod for Dirk. At 21.7 PPG, Dirk would top the 20 point per game barrier for the last time in his career.

10. 00-01: Dirk became a star as he was named 3rd team All-NBA despite being snubbed as an All-Star, leading the Mavs to their first playoff appearance in 11 years. During those playoffs the Mavs would beat the Jazz in the opening round before falling the Spurs, despite 42 and 18 from Dirk in the final game.

9. 07-08: After the disappointing playoff loss the year before, Dirk bounced back just fine, making a 7th straight all-star trip and making 2nd team All-NBA. Unfortunately another first round exit from the playoffs, this time to New Orleans, ended the season.

8. 01-02: Dirk made his first career All-Star game as the Mavs made the second round yet again, as Dirk dominated Kevin Garnett and Minnesota in the opening round. Dirk's 9.9 rebounds per game would tie a career high that he equaled the following year as well.

7. 09-10: Making an  All-NBA  team for the 10th straight year, Dirk led the Mavs to 55 wins and the #2 seed in the West. However one final playoff disappointment, a first round loss to the Spurs, would have to be suffered before a championship would finally come his way.

6. 08-09: Dirk was named a first-team All-NBA player for the fourth time in 5 years and led the Mavs past the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the Nuggets in the second round. Dirk incredible play in that Nuggets series was even more impressive considering the tumult happening in his personal life.

5. 02-03: What a year it was for the 24-year-old before a knee injury forced him to miss the final 3 games of the Western Conference Finals. Dirk would lead the Mavs to a 60 win season, tied for the best mark in the league, highlighted by a 14-0 start to the season. In the playoffs Dirk would lead the way in game 7 wins over the Blazers and Kings.

4. 04-05: Now without Steve Nash for the first time in his career, Dirk took his game to an entire new level, making first team All-NBA and finishing 3rd in MVP voting. Dirk increased his scoring average from 21.8 points the year before to 26.1 points per game, the second best mark of his career.

3: 06-07: The MVP season. Dirk had a regular season for the ages, leading the Mavs to a 67-15 record as he joined the ultra-exclusive 50-40-90 club, shooting 50.2% from the field, 41.6% from three and 90.4% from the free throw line. Unfortunately the playoffs were a different story as the Mavs were stunned by the #8 seed Warriors, crushing their chances of redeeming their previous year's Finals loss.

2: 05-06: After a regular season that saw him finish 3rd in MVP voting for a second straight year while averaging a career high 26.6 point per game, Dirk would take it up yet another notch in the playoffs. After sweeping the Grizzlies in the first round, the Mavs would take their down their arch rivals, the Spurs, as Dirk scored 37 in a game 7 win on the road including the clutch 3 point play that forced overtime. In the conference finals against the Suns, Dirk was brilliant again, scoring 50 points in a key game 5 win. The season would end in heartbreak however as the Mavs blew a 2-0 Finals lead to the Heat.

1. 10-11: Things finally all came together as a brilliant playoff run resulted in the Mavs finally being crowned champions as Dirk cemented his legacy as one the game's true all-time greats. There were so many memorable moments from the sweep of the Lakers to the destruction of Oklahoma City, highlighted by perhaps the best game of Dirk's career in game one as he went 12-15 from the field and 24-24 from the line for 48 points. In the Finals Dirk's owned crunch time, first by leading an improbable game 2 comeback capped by hitting the game-winning-layup. Then he once again took over late in game 4 despite playing through illness. Than in the deciding game 6, Dirk struggled through the first half before scoring 18 points in the second half as he finally captured the one prize that had eluded him.

Ranking the Mavs by Importance: 20-1

The time has come  to rank all 20 year players on the Mavs training camp roster on their importance to the team during the upcoming season, These rankings aren't necessarily ranking the players in order of ability but rather how important their potential  impact can be on this year's squad and also going forward in the years to come.

20. Ding Yanyuhang: The Chinese forward was a fan favorite when he played for the Mavs Summer League team in Las Vegas in 2017.  He was signed to a non-guaranteed deal seemingly so he could play in the Mavs two preseason game in his native country but a good camp could possibly put him in contention for a roster spot.

19. Codi Miller-McIntyre: Miller-McIntyre is in a similar spot as Ding having signed with the Mavs after playing the last two seasons in Europe after a four year college career at Wake Forest. He is considered a solid floor general as a point guard but must improve on his outside shot to have any hope of sticking in the NBA.

18. Jalen Jones: The Dallas native is back with the Mavs after playing in 12 games toward the end of last season. Jones always plays hard but must improve his overall skill level to carve out a NBA role.

17. Kostas Antetkounmpo: The brother of the Greak Freak and the final pick of June's draft, Antetokounmpo was signed to one of the team's two 2-way-contracts. He will almost surely spend most of the year in Frisco with the Legends as he is viewed as a long term project after one year of college ball at Dayton.

16. Daryl Macon: The other 2-way-player, Macon went undrafted after spending 2 years at Arkansas. He proved himself to be a reliable shooter in college, shooting 40.5% from three over his 2 years. Like Antetokounmpo, expect him to be with the Legends almost exclusively.

15. Ray Spalding: The 56th pick in the draft, the Mavs showed faith in Spalding by signing him to a multi-year deal. Considered a draft steal by some, Spalding is an intriguing big man project, however expect him to also spend a lot of time with the Legends.

14. Salah Mejri: Mejri is back for a 4th season in Dallas after signing a one year deal for the vet minimum. At age 32, you know what to expect from Mejri as a good change of pace center who will always give 100% and rebound and protect the rim.

13. Maxi Kleber: A year ago not much was know about Kleber besides that he shared a hometown with one Dirk Werner Nowitzki. However he turned in a surprise rookie campaign, even starting in 36 games. There are still areas he must improved to earn regular rotation minutes, such as three point shooting, but Kleber has shown he belongs on a NBA roster.

12. Jalen Brunson: Not many second round picks are expected to play much as rookies but Brunson might be one to buck that trend. Last year's College Basketball Player of the Year, Brunson has been a winner throughout his basketball life, winning two titles in three years as Villanova's starting point guard. While not an elite athlete, Brunson has a natural feel for the game and typically gets to where he needs to go.

11. Ryan Broekhoff: After losing Doug McDermott in free agency, the Mavs found a replacement in the Australian sharp shooter who shot over 50% from deep playing in Russia last year. Playing with passers such as Luka Doncic, Dennis Smith and J.J. Barea should result in plenty of open looks for Broekhoff and his pedigree shows that he should knock them down.

10. Dorian Finney-Smith: His third year in the league will be a big one for DSJ's BFF after missing most of last year due to injury. The question with Finney-Smith still remains a suspect outside shot. There has been a lot of talk from the Mavs about an improved form and mechanics but it's time to see that pay off in game situations. We know what DFS bring as a defender but without offensive improvement his overall impact can only be so much.

9. Devin Harris: Back for a third stint as a Mav, Harris is an important part of a bench unit that wrecked opposing benches last season. What the 35-year-old has lost from his hyper-athletic youth, he makes up for in veteran guile and experience. Harris, also draws raves as a veteran mentor and with two promising young guards on the team that can be invaluable.

8. Dwight Powell: Coming off a career year that silenced a lot of critics it is now up to Powell to take another step forward in his development. Powell showed himself to be one of the top roll guys in the league, and while he'll never be much of an outside shooting threat, he made enough perimeter looks to at least keeps defenses somewhat honest. Going up against DeAndre Jordan in practice every day should be a giant help for Powell who can still get overpowered at times by larger big men.

7. J.J. Barea: Defying convention, the 34-year-old water bug keeps getting better with each passing season. Perhaps the league's best backup point guard, Barea leads the Mavs potent second unit with uncanny precision. Him and Dirk know each other so well after so many years together and that will only continue now that Dirk is coming off the bench.

6. Wesley Matthews: Matthews's tenure with the Mavs has seen plenty of ups and downs but perhaps this might be setting up to be the Iron Man's best year in a Dallas uniform. Matthews has been asked to do too much on offense, especially when it comes to dribbling and playmaking. Now with the addition of Doncic, Matthews will be freed to do what he does best on the offensive end, catch and shoot. On the other end he will continue to guard the opponent's best perimeter scorer, a role he embraces.

5. Dirk Nowitzki: In his 21th season, the NBA's 6th all-time leading scorer will be asked to something completely foreign to him, come off the bench. It shouldn't be a problem however. First of all, Dirk is always willing to do what's best for the team. Second of all, he's has had great success in recent years playing with the Mavs' bench units, so that won't be that unusual for him. We all know this could be the last season for the Big German, so make sure to savor every last drop of it.

4. Harrison Barnes: Barnes has produced admirably the last 2 seasons as the teams's best player and go-to scorer. While he will remain as the team's #1 offensive option most likely, Barnes will be free from a lot of the pressure he saw, especially when it comes to creating his own shot. HB is such an adaptable player he can play a lot of different roles on a team as he showed as part of a championship team in Golden State. He might never be an all-star but Barnes but is a top 50 player and a high character individual which goes a long way.

3. DeAndre Jordan: Three years after leaving the Mavs at the free agency alter, Jordan has finally arrived to wear Dallas on his chest. Jordan  gives the Mavs something that only Tyson Chandler has given them in their franchise history, a huge interior presence who can dominates the boards like few can. Not only that, Jordan should have a field days catching lobs from DSJ and Luka. Jordan after all has the best field goal percentage in NBA history by a wide margin over who else but Chandler.

2. Dennis Smith Jr.: Year two is considered the year where NBA players make their biggest jump and Smith looks like he should prove no exception to that role. After a promising rookie campaign that saw him make second team All-Rookie, DSJ will now be joined in the backcourt with another uber-promising youngster who should take much of the burden off Smith, who was asked to do much last year out of necessity. Outside shooting is obviously the area that he must improve in the most but that is typically the case for most young guards, who gradually see upticks in their efficiency as they mature in the league.

1. Luka Donic: The hype is unreal for the teenage sensational and for good reason. No player his age as entered the league with such an accomplished resume as the reigning EuroLeague MVP. Donic is a special talent who the Mavs were able to acquire after three teams inexplicably passed on him on draft night. There will be growing pains of course, there always is with young players, but Luka's special feel for the game and basketball IQ will make him the next face of the franchise whenever Dirk decides to hang them up, that is if he ever does.