DONUT 1: GOING 1-ON-1 WITH JUSTIN JACKSON

This week, Dallas Mavericks' newly acquired forward Justin Jackson took some time out of his busy schedule to chat with me about a variety of topics, from adjusting to his new team, to playing with Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson, to what he'll be focusing on improving this summer and much, much more.

DallasBasketball.com thanks Justin for his contribution this week, and if all goes according to plan, we will be hearing more from him this summer on "The Step Back: A Mavs Podcast." Stay tuned!

DONUT 2: LOVING HIS NEW HOME

DBcom: How are you liking and adjusting your new situation with the Mavs so far?

Jackson: "I'm loving the transition. The organization is awesome, the coaching staff is super helpful and my teammates have been cool and accepting ever since I got in."

DONUT 3: SOMETHING IN COMMON WITH LUKA

DBcom: What’s something Mavs fans probably don’t know about you yet, but should?

Jackson: "I'm a huge video gamer. I love to play during my free time. It's a way to have some fun with friends and also just a hobby of mine."

As we all have figured out by now, Luka Doncic loves to spend a lot of his free time playing video games as well, specifically Fortnite. It's not hard to envision these guys bonding with this shared hobby going forward.

DONUT 4: FITTING IN WITH THE YOUNG MAVS

DBcom: How do you see your game meshing with the other young guys on this team, like Luka Doncic & Jalen Brunson?

Jackson: "I think my game can mesh in a couple ways. I can give us floor spacing with my shooting to allow for guys like Luka and Jalen to have space to operate. I think defensively I can be relied on to provide length and versatility as well."

DONUT 5: DBCOM SCOUTING REPORT

Soon after the Mavs shipped Harrison Barnes to the Kings in return for Justin Jackson, I spoke with a college scout, who seemed very optimistic about Jackson's future in Dallas, telling me, "(Jackson is) a long, angular guy, known mostly for his shooting stroke, but is a deceptively good rebounder due to his combination of height, length and mobility. He moves extremely well without the ball and does not have much of an isolation game right now. He needs needs teammates that will set him up in order to be effective. I see him as being a 3-and-D guy that will give you a couple of offensive boards per game. At this stage, his progression depends entirely on his ability to get stronger and put on (some muscle)."

You can read that full scouting report here.

DONUT 6: WATCHING LUKA UP CLOSE

DBcom: Speaking of Luka, what are your thoughts on him potentially being the Rookie of the Year?

Jackson: "Luka is good! He's so mature on the court for being so young. He goes at his own pace, and is extremely effective. It's been awesome to watch, and he has shown many reasons why he is up for the award. I'd be very happy for him if he won it."

DONUT 7: FROM FOES TO FRIENDS

DBcom: Speaking of Jalen Brunson, I’m sure you two are going to have some locker room fun with March Madness now upon us. What’s it like being NBA teammates with a guy you battled with on the biggest stage possible in college basketball?

Jackson: "Jalen is awesome, man. We have some friendly banter about when we were in college and played in the championship game, but it's all in fun."

That championship game being referred to took place in 2016, when Jackson's beloved North Carolina Tar Heels took on Brunson's Villanova Wildcats in what turned out to be an instant classic, as Villanova won 77-74 off of an incredible buzzer-beating three pointer.

DONUT 8: THE STEP BACK (WITH A MARCH MADNESS TWIST)

Speaking of March Madness, be sure to tune in to this week's episode of "The Step Back: A Mavs Podcast," as Matt Galatzan and I (Dalton Trigg) are joined by Nick Neppach from 105.3 The Fan to discuss Dirk Nowitzki passing Wilt Chamberlain for sixth on the all-time scoring list and which matchups and prospects Mavs fans should be keeping an eye on throughout the NCAA tournament. This is coming up later today and this is one you won't want to miss! Be sure to like, rate and subscribe on all the major podcast platforms, and if you listen to us on Apple Podcasts, leave us a review there as well to help us continue to grow. Thanks for listening!

DONUT 9: TAKING THE NEXT STEP

DBcom: Next season will be your third in the NBA, which is typically a really big year for young guys when it comes to taking that next step. What’s an area of your game you’re going to be working on this summer? What are your expectations heading into next season with the Mavs?

Jackson: "I'm really excited to just work on my whole game. I think shooting will be something that I try to hone in on while also getting stronger and stronger every day."

DONUT 10: A GLIMPSE OF WHAT'S TO COME?

Although Jackson is only averaging 6.1 points and 2.5 rebounds this season, he has shown us glimpses of what could be in store for the Mavs going forward. A few weeks ago, when the Mavs took on the Washington Wizards in D.C., Jackson put up an efficient 18 points (6-of-10 from the field, 5-of-7 from deep) and 5 rebounds in just 25 minutes of play. That's making the most of your opportunity, and if the consistency picks up as Jackson heads into his third NBA season, he could be a key rotational piece in Dallas moving forward. You can't have too many young, long, 6-8 forwards that are quick on their feet and can shoot threes.

DONUT 11: RESPECT FOR A LEGEND

DBcom: You’ve been able to witness first-hand the amount of love and respect people around the league have for Dirk Nowitzki. What have you been able to learn from him in the brief time you’ve been his teammate?

Jackson: "Dirk is a legend. I've been honored to be able to sit next to him in the locker room and play along side of him. He deserves all the praise that he gets, because he is one of the greatest of all time."

See all of our "Dirk tops Wilt'' coverage here.

DONUT 12: THE FINAL WORD

It's hard for a player to be uprooted mid-season, and it takes time to become acclimated to a new team and a new system. Although the Mavs have officially been eliminated from playoff contention this season (Dallas is at Portland tonight, DBcom GAMETHREAD here), these final 12 games for Jackson will be valuable in helping him become more comfortable with his new surroundings and will hopefully springboard him into a strong third season next year.

As Jackson himself put it, "I can't wait to finish out this season and just go forward meshing even more."