Not long after seeing Dennis Smith Jr. commit a critical turnover, then re-watching the game's final 90 seconds on video with his team, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle made a couple of declarations.

"I like where Dennis is at; I really do," Carlisle said.

That statement still was resonating when Carlisle added for good measure: "These last nine games it's going to be his show to run."

Carlisle, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks franchise as a whole have publicly, privately and unwaveringly supported Smith throughout his rookie season.

And guess what? Smith, at age 20, is rewarding everyone's faith, not only with his at-times spectacular if inconsistent game performances, but with his work ethic and improving attention to detail.

On Saturday the Mavericks did not have a morning shootaround prior to that night's 102-98 home loss to Charlotte, but Smith came in and, as Carlisle put it, "worked his butt off on situational stuff, skill-refinement, stuff like that."

After the Charlotte loss, in which he shot 8-of-17 and had 21 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds, Smith indicated that he might head over to the Mavericks' practice facility for a late-night shooting session - something he's done after games several times this season.

It's unclear whether Smith followed through Saturday night, but early Sunday afternoon he sent a tweet that seemed to indicate he had practiced with former NBA standout and 2007 Mavericks playoff assassin Baron Davis, whom Smith has called his favorite player growing up in North Carolina.

"Good set work today w da big homie @BaronDavis," Smith tweeted.

Good set work today w da big homie @BaronDavis 👌🏿 — Dennis Smith Jr. (@Dennis1SmithJr) March 25, 2018

Smith knows there are areas of his game that need improving, among them his 39.2-percent shooting from the field and 30.6-percent from 3-point distance.

In 12 games since the All-Star break he is shooting only 25.9-percent (15 of 58) on 3-pointers, but he credits Carlisle and other Mavericks coaches for patiently working with him on all aspects.

"I feel like I've made strides, but there's always room for improvement," Smith said. "It's a process and I'm trusting it. I'm going to keep doing my work. The progress is going to show."