NBA 2018-19: 5 sophomores poised to have a breakout season

#3 Dennis Smith Jr.

Dennis Smith Jr. is the face the Mavericks franchise needed as Nowitzki nears his exit

Teams slept on DSJ during the 2017 draft and the Mavericks caught him at number 10. He has turned out to be the gift that keeps on giving. His lightning-fast drives followed by thunderous hammer jams on the rim is the stuff of dreams.

Although inclusion of the rookie phenom Luka Doncic might hinder his development in some way, if they learn to complement each other's style of play in time, it can truly be the resurgence Mark Cuban has been waiting on for so long.

He was not in the Rookie of the Year conversation as the numbers posted by his classmates eclipsed that of his comprehensively. Standing at just 6 feet 3 inches tall, he could only average 3.8 rebounds, but made up for it with his high-octane highlight plays down the stretch for Dallas.

One of the reasons that compelled me to include him in this list above a few others was the realization that he has not performed to his complete potential, but has displayed intermittent spurts of excessive talent and maturity, hence increasing the chances of an explosive breakout season this year.