Dallas Mavericks: 3 bold predictions for 2018-19 NBA season

1. Luka Doncic to be named unanimous Rookie of the Year

Since Ralph Sampson won the award in 1983, only David Robinson, Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard and Karl-Anthony Towns have been named unanimous Rookie of the Year award recipients.

This upcoming season, Doncic has a real chance to add his name to this list. Despite being taken at No. 5 overall, the Mavericks had no doubt as to who they would’ve taken if they had the first pick:

Recently, franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki added weight to Cuban’s remarks:

"“I could shoot a little bit [at 19], but I never had the court vision, the savviness and the stuff that he brings to the game. Just the way he already reads pick-and-rolls. You go under, he shoots. If the man goes over, he kind of keeps him behind him like the best, like Chris Paul and these guys do. He does all of that. He’s going to be fun — fun to watch.”"

With a resume virtually incomparable to any at his age in recent seasons, it’s widely expected that Doncic will have an enormous impact this season. As opposed to most rookies, Doncic already has a substantial amount of experience on a basketball court against grown professionals.

Having debuted in the Spanish League with Real Madrid at just age 16, the Slovenian native already has 174 career games in Liga ACB, playing both with and against a number of NBA-caliber players.

Compare that with Deandre Ayton, this year’s No. 1 overall pick, who at age 20 has played just 36 games as a member of the Arizona Wildcats.

Another major factor pointing toward Doncic taking out the award in a unanimous fashion is the success of the team. For Ayton, being drafted to the Phoenix Suns represents joining a team that returned the worst record in the league last year.

While they have added some veteran pieces, they are still very much in flux overall as a team. Furthermore, virtually every other player selected either before or after Doncic in the draft is heading to a team highly unlikely to soar up the standings this season.

In the case of Doncic, joining a Mavericks squad that is expected to make a legitimate push toward a playoff spot would be an enormous advantage for his chances if he’s able to meet his lofty preseason expectations.

With an intriguing mix of youth and experience, Doncic could find himself in the ideal spot to demonstrate just what captivating talents he has at his disposal.