With Dirk Nowitzki's stellar career with the Dallas Mavericks slowly coming to an end, the team needs another player to take over as the face of the franchise and they may have found the perfect one.Rookie Dennis Smith Jr. already has the makings of a star and the Mavs are thankful that he fell to them with the number nine pick in the 2017 draft.It came as a surprise that the explosive point guard was not taken earlier by other teams but their loss is proving to be the Mavericks' gain.

Breakout

Entering the new year, Dallas is the hottest team in the NBA as they're currently on a four-game winning streak - the longest active run in the league.

Smith has been an instrumental figure in this unexpected winning run as he's shown steady improvement in several areas

He recorded his first career triple-double in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans on the road a few days ago with 21 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds - becoming the third-youngest player to ever do it.

The 20-year-old followed that up by coming up huge down the stretch as they shocked the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 116-113 win on their home floor on Sunday night.

Smith scored 13 of the final 16 points for the Mavs and made crucial baskets when his team needed it the most.

He took over in the final two minutes of the game and showed that he can be a go-to scorer for the Mavericks in what could possibly be a breakout moment for him.

His confidence was sky high and head coach Rick Carlisle had no problems putting the ball in his hands in crunch time instead of more experienced players like Nowitzki or Harrison Barnes.

"He was great tonight," Carlisle said of Smith, per ESPN. "He finished the game with a couple of big baskets, some big free throws. Look, it was an up-and-down night, there was a lot going on.

"He went through some situations that were very difficult but he kept his energy up, he kept his head up, he kept attacking and he kept encouraging everybody in the huddles during timeouts, too."

Fearless

The North Carolina State product handled the pressure expertly as MVP Russell Westbrook put on a terrific display and kept OKC in the game.

The young guard has been likened to the Thunder superstar and went toe-to-toe with him and wasn't fazed by it at all which is a positive sign for the Texas-based franchise.

With the NBA being a point-guard dominated league, he will have to show fearlessness going against the elite and stamp his mark and this was hopefully a sign of things to come.

Smith’s averaging 13.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists this season but he’s still shooting under 40 percent on the year so there are still ways he can get better and be more effective on the floor.

But he’s a dynamic scoring guard who is showing playmaking ability that adds something to a team that has been severely lacking in this department for a number of years.

The Mavericks know the talent they have at their disposal but they're looking to nurture him and allow him to develop at his own pace.

Coach Carlisle is in no doubt about what the rookie can go on to achieve with the team.

"We drafted him because we think he can be a great player and one of the best players ever to play in a Mavericks uniform," he said, per Mavs.com.

There's no telling how much longer Dirk will play on but it's already clear that the heir to the big German is in place and he'll be ready to take the reigns when the Mavericks decide to hand it to him.