Dallas Mavericks: 2017-18 NBA season preview

Storyline 1: The beginning of the Dennis Smith Jr. era

The arrival of Dennis Smith Jr. came with all the hype and fanfare. It was a surprise when Smith Jr. fell to the ninth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Although his team was 15-17, he averaged 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. While he was eighth in the ACC in points per game, Smith Jr. was first in assists per game.

Despite the record, Smith Jr. has a pass-first mentality but can score with relative ease. He became the first ACC player in history to record two triple-doubles against ACC opponents.

His first triple-double came against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Jan. 4. He put up 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a 104-78 victory. His other one came on Feb. 1, almost a month later against the Syracuse Orange. He put up 13 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds in a 100-93 overtime loss.

Ralph Sampson, Sharone Wright and Derrick Lewis were the only other ACC players to record two triple-doubles in a season.

Smith Jr.’s abilities were on full display in Las Vegas Summer League. He was named First Team All-Summer League after averaging 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He also shot 45.7 percent from the floor and 34.6 percent from 3-point land.

He fared well in limited playing time in Summer League and looks like he’s ready to start for the Dallas Mavericks this season. Given the extra workload, he should do well. His peers certainly think so, as many of them picked him to win the Rookie of the Year award.