NBA: Top 10 candidates for Coach of the Year in 2019-20

Rick Carlisle is entering his 12th season with the Dallas Mavericks and his 18th overall as an NBA head coach and is a past winner of the NBA Coach of the Year honor, having won it as a first-year head coach with the Detroit Pistons in 2001-02.

Despite three straight losing seasons in Dallas, he’s still 751-627 for his career and is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the league.

And this season, the Mavericks are in a position to be an overachiever.

Dallas is expected to be better this season, with most predictions putting them right around the break-even mark this season.

Rookie of the Year Luka Doncic is back for his second season and will have a new running mate to target with his passes, as Kristaps Porzingis is back and healthy after missing more than a full season with a torn ACL.

The question will be whether or not Carlisle can get enough from the rest of the Mavericks rotation to go beyond those .500 projections and approach 50 or so victories.

Dallas will need Tim Hardaway Jr. to become a consistent No. 3 option with the first unit, while Seth Curry and emerging Maxi Kleber have to lead the second unit.

Their big man tandem of Dwight Powell and Boban Marjanovic will also be important to how far the Mavericks can go.