Dallas Mavericks: 2018-19 NBA season preview

Best-case scenario

Doncic passes like a rookie Ricky Rubio (say that five times fast) and shoots like a rookie Jayson Tatum, running away with Rookie of the Year. Smith defers when necessary, works within Carlisle’s multiple ballhandler offense, and explodes when he gets the chance to.

Jordan makes four alley-oop dunks and four offensive putbacks a game, and doesn’t shoot otherwise. Wesley Matthews plays like he’s back in Portland, and Barnes serves as a release valve for easy baskets when the offense dries up.

Jalen Brunson, Jose Barea and Devin Harris run the offense fluidly to help the backups score. Nowitzki hits one-legged fadeaways against backups who have no hope of contesting them. The team gels perfectly and contends for the eighth seed.

Worst-case scenario

Smith plays like Westbrook with half the talent, and ends up with Lonzo Ball’s shooting percentages. Doncic is out of shape and doesn’t get better, and looks more like a smaller Boris Diaw than anyone else.

Jordan can’t produce without an All-NBA point guard spoon-feeding him easy baskets, and eventually complains about a lack of touches. Matthews gets hurt again, and Barnes doesn’t like being a third or fourth option.

The lack of depth on the wing hurts the Mavericks when they have to let Dorian Finney-Smith start some games. Nowitzki watches Dwight Powell miss a layup, starts to cry, and says “I took so many home team discounts, and this is how you repay me?” He then promptly retires in the middle of a game, à la Vontae Davis, which forces Mark Cuban to claim “I never liked Nowitzki all that much anyway” to save face.