Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle is optimistic about Dennis Smith Jr.’s return to the Mavs lineup in the near future.

Smith missed Saturday’s game against the Boston Celtics after suffering a sprained right wrist, but he was a full participant in practice on Monday.

According to Carlisle, the second-year point guard had a good showing and appears to be on the right track if Tuesday's practice goes well.

“He had a good today, so I’m very encouraged,” Carlisle told Mavs.com reporter Dwain Price. “We’ll see how tomorrow goes, but things are looking very positive.”

Smith is averaging 14.1 points and 3.9 assists while playing 27.9 minutes per game this season. He’s fourth on the team in scoring and third in assists, and he has a 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Getting Smith back in the lineup would certainly give the Mavs even more momentum moving forward. Dallas got off to a rough 3-8 start on the season but has since won six of its last seven games while scoring 111 points or more in five of the six victories.

The Mavs will hit the road to face the Houston Rockets on Wednesday and will then head to Staples Center for a showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.

After that, Dallas will return home for four of its next five games in hopes of continuing to climb up the Western Conference ladder.