Dallas Mavericks: 5 goals for Dennis Smith Jr.’s rookie season

The Dallas Mavericks have a rookie point guard with a chip on his shoulder. What goals should the team have for Dennis Smith Jr. and his rookie season?

Dennis Smith Jr. was one of the most talented players in the 2017 NBA Draft, and he played the exact position — point guard — that the Dallas Mavericks needed. As the teams picking ahead of them went in other directions, the Mavericks saw the perfect player fall right into their laps.

In the hours and days after the draft Smith was identified as one of the “steals” of the draft, and Smith picked up the narrative himself. Throughout NBA Summer League play, Smith seemed to make a personal effort in beating those players taken ahead of him in the draft.

If Dennis Smith Jr. brings his talent, athleticism and explosion to the NBA and leaves the inconsistencies of his one-year college career at NC State, he will be the steal of the draft. For a Dallas franchise that has cobbled together point guard rotations since Jason Kidd left, a budding star at the point will be a revelation.

While fans and team officials alike will be tempted to put the cart before the horse, Smith is not going to be an All-Star from day one. But what are five realistic yet exciting goals for Smith and the Mavericks to strive for in his rookie year?