Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images

Separate trades in consecutive years have opened a door for the Dallas Mavericks to escape the rebuilding phase.

The Mavericks are now set to debut the pairing of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, who together cost Dallas the right to draft Trae Young, three first-round picks, Dennis Smith Jr. and some expiring deals.

Porzingis' picturesque fit with Doncic instantly popped following the completion of the deal between Dallas and the New York Knicks. That obvious, clean fit had to factor into the Mavericks' aggression, willingness to include future assets and acceptance of the contracts of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee.

Dallas has understandably gone all-in on building around two young stars who seemingly complement each other perfectly.

Recovered from a 2018 torn ACL, Porzingis is expected to join Doncic for Dallas' opener, which will serve as the start of a budding relationship likely to flourish on and off the floor.

2-Man Game

Bart Young/Getty Images

With a special feel and skill set in ball-screen situations, Doncic logged the ninth-most pick-and-roll ball-handling possessions in the NBA last year, and that was as a rookie without much frontcourt talent. Jalen Brunson, Dirk Nowitzki and Hardaway took the most shots off Doncic passes after Dallas traded away Smith and DeAndre Jordan.

Meanwhile, Jarrett Jack led the Knicks in assists during Porzingis' final healthy season in New York. The previous two years, Brandon Jennings and Carmelo Anthony did so.

Porzingis has never played with a passer like Doncic, who now has an athletic, 7'3" finisher with unique shooting skills in the mid-to-long range.

Opponents' defensive game plans will heavily emphasize pick-and-roll coverage, given Doncic's hesitation moves and drives, as well as Porzingis' versatility and unpredictability as a roller and pop-out option.

Doncic will have a similar easy-basket target to the one he had in Jordan, given Porzingis' enormous catch radius, coordination and ability to bounce high above the rim.

But in 2017-18 with the Knicks, KP also shot 45.5 percent on catch-and-shoot chances, including 41.6 percent on threes. The Mavericks finished No. 28 last year in three-point shooting and shot 33.3 percent as a team on catch-and-shoot two-pointers. Porzingis gives Doncic and Dallas a needed perimeter target, too big and smooth for defenders to legitimately challenge.

With defenses forced to focus on keeping Doncic from entering the paint while also staying attached to a rolling or popping Porzingis, this particular two-man action will become of the league's toughest to cover.

Doncic Drives

Advanced ball-handling moves, changes of speed and the strength to play through contact help Doncic consistently get to the rim. Only seven NBA players drove more after Dallas dealt Smith. He was able to penetrate even without many Dallas shooters to stretch the floor.

Porzingis' presence alone should create more spacing for Doncic to drive. Before the ACL injury, the big man was making 1.9 threes per game on 39.5 percent shooting.

Doncic only converted 48.7 percent of his overall field-goal attempts on drives, a lower number than most who got to the rim at the same rate. The extra spacing Porzingis creates should lead to cleaner lanes and easier finishes for his new teammate.

Porzingis Post-Ups

Head coach Rick Carlisle figures to run more post-ups this year than the 8.9 per game Dallas averaged last season. Only LaMarcus Aldridge and Joel Embiid averaged more points per game on post-ups than KP in 2017-18.

Doncic didn't have a one-on-one weapon to feed who was nearly as dangerous as Porzingis. In addition to having a new lob target and drive-and-kick shooter, he should be able to raise his assist total just by dumping it to one of the league's premier shot-creators and shot-makers around the key.

Relationship

Chris Elise/Getty Images

There isn't a stat to measure relationships, and observations of their chemistry can only be made from the outside. But based on watching sideline interactions and social media activity, Porzingis and Doncic appear to get along well.

Maybe it's the shared European roots or just compatible personalities. Before the 2018 draft, Porzingis also told ESPN's Mina Kimes, "There's no other college kid that's able to put up those numbers in a EuroLeague game."

They can obviously relate to each other as a pair of top-five picks from overseas who experienced immediate NBA success in terms of performance and popularity. They're bound to share some type of bond and extra motivation to become a European power duo in America.

And having the two men in Dallas' featured two-man game share a bond seems fairly important, particularly with Porzingis signing a five-year deal.

Mavericks Ceiling

For the 20-year-old Doncic, one more step forward could be enough to reach All-Star status in 2020. Porzingis got there during his age-22 season.

They're already 20-point NBA scorers, and their primes could still be five years away.

Dallas' front office needs to continue building the roster and strengthening the supporting cast. It also seems unlikely that the Mavericks will immediately enter the title conversation. Just making the playoffs in 2020 should be the realistic goal.

But long-term, a Doncic-Porzingis nucleus creates significant upside, likely enough for the Mavericks to become a top-three team in the Western Conference.

In Doncic, the Mavericks have a potentially elite initiator who can create and run the offense. But now they also have two go-to closers for the end of shot clocks and fourth quarters.

All stats, unless otherwise indicated, courtesy of NBA.com or Basketball Reference.