The Dallas Mavericks will not make the playoffs for the second straight year and are hoping to rebuild their team with some talented young players.One of those players is exciting rookie Dennis Smith Jr. In his first campaign in the league, he has wowed the Mavs crowd and is being hailed as the next face of the franchise.Taking that title from the legendary Dirk Nowitzki will not be an easy thing to do but Smith has the ability and confidence to do it.He is fearless when he steps onto the court and plays with an explosive and fierce edge that resembles Russell Westbrook.The Mavericks pulled off a huge coup when they selected him with the number nine overall pick in this year's draft.The NBA is currently blessed with its best generation of point guards and Smith is capable of placing his name up there with some of the best in the coming years.One thing he can certainly do is match any guard for athleticism.The 20-year-old is a walking highlight reel and has produced a number of stunning plays throughout his rookie year.He was unlucky not to win the Dunk Contest last month but it hasn't stopped him from throwing down monster slams, as the New York Knicks found out on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.Smith pulled out his latest highlight play under the bright lights in the Big Apple.With just a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, the youngster raced up the open floor and produced an outrageous windmill dunk that drew gasps from the crowd inside MSG.

It was the exclamation point to cap a 110-97 win on the road for Dallas.

The North Carolina State product posted 17 points, three rebounds and two assists on 6-of-19 shooting on the night.

The high-flyer has been one of the bright spots in a disappointing campaign for the Mavs.

He's averaging almost 15 points, five assists and four rebounds in his first year and will only get better with more games under his belt.

Despite being told by owner Mark Cuban that "losing was the best option", the Mavericks have won three of their last four games and it's clear that the players are certainly not willing to go out and lose deliberately.

They may have one of the worst records in the west at 22-46, but they always play hard and look to be competitive every time they take to the court.

Their recent wins show that they're not willing to tank and not show any effort, which will please their fans and commissioner Adam Silver.

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