The Dallas Mavericks upon selecting former NC State point guard Dennis Smith Jr. with the ninth overall pick in this year's draft, it had immediately thrust expectations that he would assume the starting job.

However, his new teammate Seth Curry recently told Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com that he is still aiming to secure the starting gig next season.

“I just want to continue to be consistent with my play, so I can get better and just be reliable every single night and carve out my role even more on this team,” Curry explained earlier this offseason when asked about challenging for a starting spot this season. “I mean, we’re trying to get to the playoffs, so we’ve got to be better individually and as a team to get back to the playoffs and to make it in the league. So, it starts individually in the summer, getting better and everybody else having that chip on their shoulder as an individual and collectively as a team.

Curry is coming off his most productive season where he posted career highs across the board by averaging 12.8 points on 48.1 percent from the field along with 42.5 from beyond the arc with 2.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 29.0 minutes. He saw his numbers improve as a starter, averaging 14.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. This included dropping a career-high 31 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

However, the addition of Smith Jr. is a clear notion that the team is looking to usher him as their starting point guard moving forward. He had shown plenty of promise in the Las Vegas Summer League where he averaged 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game while helping lead the Mavericks to a 5-1 record.

Unless Smith Jr. struggles tremendously through the first few weeks of the season, Curry will likely find himself coming off the bench to at least start the year.