When the Dallas Mavericks tip-off the new season tonight in Atlanta against the Hawks, most of the faces on the court will be familiar. There is, however, a lot that's new about this year's team 鈥� here are five things to look out for tonight:
A NEW COACH: Jason Kidd was drafted by the Mavs in 1994, won a title with the team in 2011 and now replaces Rick Carlisle as the team's head coach. Kidd was a stellar defensive player and , which has succeeded in recent years largely based on its offensive firepower.
HELP FROM THE WNBA: Joining Kidd on the bench is . She's the 15th woman to coach in the NBA and is still an active player for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks.
STARS ALIGNING: about whether chemistry can be created between the team's two biggest stars, Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. Their interactions on the court 鈥� down to how often they high five 鈥� will be tightly monitored.
A QUICK START: Speaking of Doncic, he of this summer's Tokyo Olympics and dropped 48 points on Argentina in the tournament opener 鈥� the third most in a game in Olympic history. That short offseason could catch up to him later, but he should start the year already in midseason form.
WELCOME, REGGIE: The Mavs' starting five will look very familiar to last year's lineup 鈥� the one exception being Dwight Powell at center. The biggest addition of the off-season is , who the team acquired from the New York Knicks. Bullock is an excellent defender who, along with Dorian Finney-Smith, will often be matched up against the opponents' best offensive player. And Bullock has made 39% of his three-point shots over his career 鈥� important for a team that last season, sixth most in the league.
Tonight's game tips off at 6:30 on TNT.
