The Dallas Mavericks will be going into the 2018-19 season with one of the most exciting young backcourts in the NBA. On draft night, they pulled off a trade with the Atlanta Hawks to acquire highly-rated young European prospect Luka Doncic. Pairing him with Dennis Smith Jr. could add a new dimension to the Mavs offence next year. With Smith's explosiveness and Doncic's playmaking ability, it could be the perfect combination for head coach Rick Carlisle to work with.
Backcourt of the future
Smith, who the Mavericks selected with the number nine pick in last summer's draft, has already been spending time studying his new teammate's game and is expecting good things.
“It should be good. I’ve watched a lot of tape on him," he said on playing with Doncic, per Dwain Price of Mavs.com.
"I never got into the gym with him, but I watched a lot of tape and I believe that we could complement one another.”
Owner Mark Cuban told ESPN that the Slovenian was the best player in his class and "it wasn't even close."
He was named as the youngest ever Euroleague MVP as the 19-year-old led Real Madrid to a championship.
With their talented backcourt duo, Dallas now has a young core to build on for the future and they should make an improvement next season.
Improvement
As well as Doncic, the Mavs have added All-Star center DeAndre Jordan to their roster this summer.
A starting five with their two guards, Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Harrison Barnes looks like an impressive unit.
"The talent we've brought in is amazing and I think they're going to help us make a real stride this season," Smith added.
"We brought in some good talent, have a really good staff. They've done a good job of preparing the guys.
"I've put a lot of work in myself, so I'm looking forward to a big year."
The 20-year-old was the bright spark in an otherwise poor campaign for the Mavericks as he often wowed the fans inside the American Airlines Center with his ridiculous athleticism.
He averaged a solid 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game.
The former North Carolina State product is hoping to improve his game and not fall into a sophomore slump.
"Just don't even worry about it. If I do go into a slump, just acknowledge it, keep working and the things will pick up from there," he said.
The future certainly looks bright in Dallas and they could be dark horses to watch next season.
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