Dirk Nowitzki

1. Dirk Nowitzki enters his 21st season with the Dallas Mavericks. This will likely be the last season of Dirk’s illustrious career. We don’t deserve Dirk.

2. Nowitzki is sixth all-time in NBA history in scoring. He’s just 232 points behind Wilt Chamberlain for fifth all-time and 1,105 points behind Michael Jordan for fourth all-time. Theoretically, if Dirk will to play in all 82 games for the Mavs this season, he’d need to average about 13.5 points per game to catch Jordan. He averaged 12.0 points per game last season.

3. Nowitzki is a 13-time NBA All-Star, 2006-07 NBA MVP, and 2011 NBA Finals MVP. He also led Dallas to the team’s first-ever 60-win season in 2002-03, first NBA Finals appearance in 2006 vs Miami Heat, a franchise-high 67 wins in 2006-07, and the organization’s first NBA championship in 2011.

4. Nowitzki is fifth all-time in games played. He needs to play in just 33 games to catch John Stockton for third all-time. Fun fact: Jason Terry is eight with 1,410 games played and Vince Carter, the oldest active player in the NBA at age 41, is ninth and will be playing this upcoming season for the Atlanta Hawks.

5. Nowitzki has left more than $200 million on the table for the sake of the franchise.

6. Behind the scenes, he remains a class act.

7. Nowitzki’s bond with Mark Cuban.

8. Dirk Nowitzki continues to be the best interview in sports.

Luka Doncic

9. He was selected as the Rookie of the Year favorite in the annual GM survey. The Mavericks have landed the player many believed to be the best and most “NBA ready” player in the draft.

10. He also received the most votes for best international players.

11. He’ll need to join rare company in Rookie of the Year pursuit.

12. He was the 2017-18 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP.

13. He’s a great fit for Dennis Smith Jr.

14. He’s makes Dennis Smith Jr.’s life easier. While the rest of the league focuses on Luka Doncic and how to try and stop him, Dennis Smith Jr. will continue to fly under the radar.

15. He’s ready to just “stop talking and play.”

Dennis Smith Jr.

16. Dennis Smith Jr. enters the season much improved as a shooter, leader. Expect a more comfortable, confident, and efficient Dennis. Production should spike as well, but don’t expect an all-star out of the gate. Patience should still be a priority. He is still young and adjusting to a different role, but once he figures this thing out? It’s going to be special.

17. Lobs from Luka!

Doncic with the steal, lobs it to Dennis Smith Jr. for the dunk. This is going to be a fun duo to watch this season. pic.twitter.com/LYYKQE7Y2A — Sports Notes (@TheSportsNotes) October 12, 2018

DeAndre Jordan

18. DeAndre Jordan is finally a Maverick. We all remember how he spurned the Mavs, leaving fans heartbroken, but his actions resulted in the Mavs being bad enough to land two young players with a tremendous amount of potential. Now, he gets to be a part of the bridge to the post-Dirk Nowitzki era that looks fun and promising. His timing couldn’t be better.

19. He’s a great interview.

Mavs Front Office

20. Cynthia Marshall is the right person for the Mavs’ rebuild. With the conclusion of the internal investigation and the positives that came from it, all the fresh, talented faces, and the dawn of a new season just seem to have rejuvenated these guys and the fan base.

The Future and Free Agency

21. Dallas will have more than $50 in cap space to pair with DSJ, Luka and Co. in the summer of 2019 with JJ Barea, Devin Harris, Wesley Matthews, Dirk Nowitzki, DeAndre Jordan, and Salah Mejri coming off the books.

New and Improved Mavs Roster

22. Mavs have added Kostas Antetokounmpo (draft), Jalen Brunson (draft), Luka Doncic (draft), Devin Harris (FA), and DeAndre Jordan (FA).

Mavs Storylines

23. Dwight Powell continues to learn and improve.

24. Dirk to come off the bench?

25. Roster continuity to help Mavs improve? As Dallas begins to beautifully shape its roster with a calculated mix of youth and easy-to-fit veterans, there is a new aura around the franchise that figures to create a buzz that hasn’t been experienced by basketball fans around here in close to a decade.

26. Dirk’s final season?

27. The ‘Luka Hype’

28. The “Young Guns.” Will Luka take the league by storm or with a whimper? What will Dennis look like as a sophomore? More of the same razzle dazzle but lacking efficiency, or will he take a step towards becoming a true unguardable star? Will they thrive playing together or will it be a rough first season of growing pains?

29. Can Dennis Smith Jr. and Luka Doncic become one of the most exciting young duos in the NBA?

30. Luka’s transitions from the Euros to NBA.

31, DeAnde Jordan as a Maverick. It’s weird and also amazing at the same time!

32. Is this a playoff team?

33. Will Luka Doncic win Rookie of the Year?

34. Mavs selected as 2nd most improved team in NBA in GM survey

35. Mavericks are ready to stop taking, start winning.

36. Harrison Barnes’ leadership. Since coming to Dallas, he’s partnered with retired Dallas Police Chief David Brown to host free basketball clinics, paid for 150 kids to see “Black Panther”, and even writing a 2,000-word article “Big, Small Town” on Dallas. He is part of the Dallas Mavericks family and has adopted the city, not just the team colors.

37. Devin Harris returns after being traded for Doug McDermott.

38. Will Wes Matthews return to pre-injury form?

39. Can Luka and Dennis coexist?

40. Harrison Barnes is better than you think. He’s not the star that’s going to grab headlines, but he’s the star that you want on your team. He’s coming off a season in which he averaged a 18.9 points on 45 percent shooting. Oh yeah, and he’s only 26. While DSJ and Luka will capture all the headlines this season, Barnes remains a consistent cornerstone.

41. Dennis Smith Jr.’s Encore. Last season, Smith Jr. averaged 15.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 29.7 minutes in 69 games earning 2017 NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors.

42. Mavs vs NBA’S Elite. Lebron in LA, Boogie in Golden State, Melo and CP3 in Houston. While the rebuilding Mavs aren’t in the same category as them, it’s a good measuring tool, especially for Dennis Smith Jr. and Luka Doncic.

43. Is Wesley Matthews finally off the Mavs trading block?

44. Devin Harris mentors Dennis Smith Jr. He shares a lot of similarities to DSJ when he was drafted with the fifth pick in the 2004 in the NBA Draft with his size and quickness. He’ll play an important role as a mentor for DSJ and now Luka Doncic.

45. Can Harrison Barnes take the next step?

46. JJ Barea appears to get better with age. After a nagging calf injury limited him to just 35 games in ‘16-‘17, Barea bounced back with a career-high 11.6 points per game in ‘17-’18.

47. Salah Mejri off the court vs Salah “The Mej” on the court.

48. Mavs home cooking. Since moving the American Airlines Center the Mavericks have posted a home mark of 480-209 (.696) during the regular season.

49. Will Mavericks continue to dominate the Lakers? The Mavs have won 17 of the last 18 games vs LA. Will Lebron change that.

50. Dirk calls teammate and opponents a burger?

51. Mavs veterans have a chance to move up franchise rankings.

52. It’s Dorian Finney-Smith’s time to shine.

53. Ray Spalding.

54. Jalen Brunson.

55. What can we expect from DSJ in his sophomore season?

56. Who will have the bigger impact on the Mavs: Luka or DeAndre?

Mavs Coaching Staff

57. Rick Carlisle enters his 11th season as head coach.

58. Carlisle is the winningest coach in Mavs history (437-367, .543).

59. Carlisle remains one of the top coaches in the NBA. He is 14th all-time in wins.

60. Carlisle’s highly regarded coaching assistants. Coaches Stephen Silas, Jamahl Mosley, Larry Shyatt, Darrell Armstrong, Mike Weinar.

61. Michael Finley. Did you know Findawg is Assistant Vice President of Basketball Ops?

62. Jenny Boucek. She serves as the assistant to the team’s basketball staff and special projects.

Mavs History

63. Mavs are entering their 38th season as a franchise.

64. Mavs are 13th all-time with 50.7 percent win percentage, 1,539 wins and 1,529 losses.

Rebuilding a Winner

65. In case you missed it, the NBA D-League is now the G-League, as part of a multi-year partnership with Gatorade.

66. Developing players with the Texas Legends, the sole affiliate for the Dallas Mavericks.

67. Rebuilding season. While many will frown at another developmental season for the Mavs, it’s times like this that make the 2011 Championship so special. Enjoy and remember this ride, you’ll appreciate it more when the Mavs make it back to the top and the Mavs will make it back to the top.

Mavs Cares

68. The Dallas Mavericks Foundation, Community Events, Mavs Basketball Academy, Mavs Fit, Community Ticket Block Spakers, Bureau, Dallas Mavericks Donation Requests, Mavs Cares with former Dallas Sports Fanatic staffer Tamara Jolee, the Community Impact Report, and the Dallas Mavericks Jr. NBA.

Mavs Broadcasts

69. Mark Followill enters his 14th season as the television play-by-play announcer for the Fox Sports Southwest telecast.

70. Former Maverick great Derek Harper is back for his eighth season on the telecast as the team’s color commentator.

71. Jeff “Skin” Wade enters his tenth season as an analyst.

Schedule

72. Five nationally televised games on ESPN and TNT on October 17 at Phoenix (ESPN), October 24 at Atlanta (ESPN), December 13 at Phoenix (TNT), December 20 at Clippers (TNT), and March 14 at Denver

73. Mavericks at Hawks on October 24. The biggest trade of the draft comes into fruition this game. We all know what happened on draft-night when the Mavs sent a protected 2019 first round pick to the Hawks to essentially swap Luka Doncic for Trae Young. How will the dratees compare?

74. Lakers at Mavericks on January 7. Welcome to Dallas, LeBron James, or should we say (LA)Bron James?

75. Mavericks at Clippers on December 20. DeAndre Jordan returns to his former home in LA to play his old team.

76. Mavericks at Suns on October 17. It’s the season opener for crying outloud!

77. Mavericks at Spurs on April 10. Dirk’s Finale? And in San Antonio?

78. Mavs play the 2018-19 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors at home twice this season on November 17 and January 13. They’ll head to Oakland on December 22 and March 23. Mavs are 79-76 all-time vs the Warriors.

American Airlines Center

79. Here’s what you should wear (and shouldn’t wear) to a Mavs game.

80. Mavs halftime shows. From Dancing Darth Fader to Simon Sez to dog shows.

81. The Whataburger High Five Line.

82. Mavs promotional nights.

83. Mavs Fan Pass. The perfect way for Mavs fans to get great last-minute seats at a discounted price.

84. Mavs College Pass. The perfect way for college students to get great seats at a discounted price.

85. Mavs Super Fan Don Knobler. You can catch him courtside at every Mavs game wearing the most extreme outfits that only he could pull off.

86. Seats For Soldiers Night at the AAC. Originated by season ticket holder Neal Hawks, Seat for Soldiers Night is easily the best night at the AAC every season. For one game, every season in December, Mavs season-ticket holders donate their tickets to allow soldiers injured in combat from the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and allow them to enjoy a Mavs game from some of the best seats in the house.

Mavs Entertainment Team

87. DJ Poison the Ivy. Simply the best DJ in the business, she became the Dallas Mavericks’ first female team DJ in franchise history, and is the second female DJ in NBA league history.

88. Mavs ManiAACs. Did you know they got their stars on American’s Got Talent?

89. MavsMan and Champ. I mean how many teams got two mascots?!

90. The Mavs Drumline. Founded in 2003, often imitated, never duplicated.

91. The Dallas Mavericks Dancers. They’re the best dance team in the NBA. Period!

Exclusive Dallas Sports Fanatic Media Coverage

92. Exclusive Dallas Sports Fanatic credentialed media coverage.

93. The Mavs Fanatic Podcast by Taimon Turner, Mike DuPont, and DeShaun Walker.

94. Credentialed media coverage from Mavs lead editor Michael Mulford.

95. Credentialed media coverage from Reese Konkle.

96. Credentialed media coverage from Dylan Duell.

97. Exclusive photos and media coverage by Michael Lark.

98. Wall to wall, season-long coverage from our talented group Dallas Sports Fanatics Mavs writers including co-owner Ryan Wilson, Michael DuPont II, Nick White, Ehsan Azad, Bo Dauster, Trevor Rathbun, Chris Henderson, Dorothy Gentry, DeShaun Walker, Darien Clark, Abe Hernandez, and Darreck “DDP” Kirby.

99. The Forgotten Mavs Podcast with Mike Fraler.

100. Because you’re an MFFL!