Dallas Mavericks: Top 5 games to watch in 2018-19

TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Center in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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Photo by Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images. /

2. Dec. 16 vs. Sacramento Kings

Signing DeAndre Jordan helped Mark Cuban and company overcome their past failure in 2015, when Jordan had snubbed them to re-sign with the Clippers. Unfortunately, however, guard Yogi Ferrell backed out of his own agreement with the Mavericks to sign a two-year, $6.2 million contract with the Sacramento Kings.

Losing Ferrell, 25, was a big blow to the Mavericks, who already lost Seth Curry and Doug McDermott to the Portland Trail Blazers and Indiana Pacers, respectively. Ferrell left to assume a bigger role in Sacramento rather than rejoining a Mavericks squad that became younger.

This game offers many fun individual matchups as well. Both the Kings and Mavericks drafted point guards in the 2017 NBA Draft, with the Kings taking De’Aaron Fox with the fifth pick, and the Mavs taking Dennis Smith Jr. at the eighth spot. It’ll be interesting to see how both players perform in their sophomore seasons with a year under their belts.

There will also be another rookie battle, but this time it’s the second overall pick against the third. Power forward Marvin Bagley III and Luka Doncic will both be in the Rookie of the Year race, and this game could be a deciding factor and reference point for undecided voters.

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