The Dallas Mavericks have not had much to hang their 10-gallon hats on so far in the 2017-18 NBA season with a 5-17 win-loss record. Fortunately, the emergence of rookie phenom Dennis Smith Jr. has helped shine a light on their potential rebuild while superstar Dirk Nowitzki enjoys what could be his last days in Dallas.

Despite the disappointing year thus far, the two have fit in well as teammates. However, they recently squared off in the latest edition of Mavs Trivia.

At first, it looked as if the savvy mind of the veteran in Dirk Nowitzki was going dominate right off the bat. However, Dennis Smith Jr. quickly bounced back by answering questions faster than even the most staunch Mavs fans likely would. As a result, it was the rookie that ultimately prevailed.

It is encouraging to see the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft be so observant of his teammates this early on, especially since it is usually the point guard's job to make snap decisions when running the offense. Needless to say, Smith Jr. seemingly already knows the entire Mavs roster like the back of his hand, which just goes to show the intricacies that often go into the make-up of developing into a potential franchise player.