Projecting the 20 most promising young duos in the NBA

4. Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis (Dallas Mavericks)

Kristaps Porzingis becoming a superstar in New York City was a foregone conclusion up until Feb. 6, 2018, when “The Unicorn” tore his ACL — an injury that would alter the course of his still-promising career.

The 7’3″ forward — who was averaging 22.7 points and 6.6 rebounds for the Knicks at the time he got hurt — sat out all of last season, but during that time he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

Porzingis, 24, then signed a five-year, $158.2 million max-level contract with the Mavs, transitioning from being viewed as the No. 1 guy in New York to No. 2 on the marquee in Dallas.

And for the first time in about 20 years, the top guy in Dallas is not Dirk Nowitzki.

The new face of the franchise is 20-year-old Luka Doncic, last season’s NBA Rookie of the Year who averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.

Doncic’s arrival coincided with Nowitzki’s departure. The future Hall of Famer retired in 2019, leaving a legacy that includes the franchise’s only NBA championship (2011), but ended with three straight lottery seasons and eight years without a playoff series victory.

The West had been historically strong during Nowitzki’s career, but might be even tougher post-Dirk with the two new powerhouses being built in L.A.

If Porzingis is healthy, the Mavericks have one of the league’s most talented duos — regardless of age — to throw into that mix.