The first regular-season matchup between rookies Luka Doncic and Trae Young, who were traded for each other during the 2018 NBA draft, went Young's way in the Atlanta Hawks' 111-104 comeback win over the Dallas Mavericks. 

Neither rookie played up to their full potential on Wednesday, but Young did make the go-ahead layup with 3:34 remaining in the fourth quarter to give Atlanta a 101-100 lead. 

Young accounted for 17 points on just 3-of-12 shooting, to go along with five assists, four rebounds and five turnovers in the win. 

Doncic looked great out of the gate, scoring 12 points to help Dallas open up a 20-point lead after the first quarter. The Slovenian star had just nine points over the final three quarters, though he did grab a career-high nine rebounds. 

The explosive Hawks have quickly turned things around after an 0-2 start. This marks their second consecutive win after a 22-point road victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. 

Doncic is NBA's Next Great Point Guard Despite Athletic Limitations

In an era of outstanding point guards—including Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Ben Simmons and Stephen Curry—Doncic will soon be able to stand alongside them. 

Prior to being drafted, B/R's Jonathan Wasserman highlighted Doncic's "sensational passing instincts and vision" as his biggest assets, but there were concerns about how his game would translate to the NBA:

"Doncic lacks explosiveness for a guard or wing. He isn't a blow-by driver, which forces him to rely on lower-percentage shots away from the basket in isolation situations. It also causes him to over-dribble while teammates stand around. ... Lateral foot speed is a weakness. He will have trouble defending opposing point guards, and bigger opponents back him down in the post."

The easiest way for a player to make up for a lack of athleticism is through instincts and feel for the game. Doncic showed off plenty of that Wednesday, starting with these slick moves on a step-back three and floater in the first quarter:

Doncic has already transformed Dallas' offense from a unit that had the seventh-worst offensive efficiency last season to the fourth-best to open the 2018-19 campaign entering Wednesday. 

There are still things Doncic must improve upon to reach his full potential. He came into Wednesday's game averaging as many turnovers as assists per game (4.3), but there have been far more encouraging signs that it won't take him long to become a star. 

Despite having a difficult shooting night after the first quarter, Doncic posted his third straight game with at least 19 points and made himself a factor on the glass with nine defensive rebounds.  

The Mavericks tied their long-term future to Doncic when they acquired him from Atlanta on draft night.

"They haven’t been shy about promoting their star rookie, putting him on billboards all over town with the headline 'The Future Is Here,'" wrote The Ringer's Jonathan Tjarks.  

The 19-year-old has been everything Dallas could have hoped for, and a lot more, to start his NBA career. 

Young's Volatility Doesn't Diminish Star Traits

Few players in the NBA have a more significant gap between their ceiling and floor than Young. 

Sunday's win over the Cavs, for instance, was an example of what Young is at his best. The 20-year-old dropped 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting and dished out 11 assists in a 133-11 win. 

"Young is such a tough cover when his deep 3-ball is falling like it was last night," ESPN's Mike Schmitz wrote on Twitter after that game. "Dangerous live-dribble, change of pace game that allows him to play off the threat of his pull up and get into the lane. Did a nice job of converting and facilitating in a crowd vs. Cleveland."

Young was unable to carry that performance over against the Mavs, posting the worst line of his young career in the win. 

Even in a game that was a statistical nightmare, Young did showcase some of the vision and distribution skills that made Atlanta fall in love with him:

What's difficult to see from that video, as pointed out by Barstool Sports' Dan Greenberg, is Taurean Prince wasn't even looking back for the ball when Young passed it to him. 

Young's go-ahead layup in the fourth quarter was a showcase for his ability to shake defenders and finish through contact at the basket:

Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk told CBS Sports' Brad Botkin in July that Young wasn't drafted on the basis of his shooting ability:

"He blew up and got national recognition because of the shooting, but to us, his best asset today is his passing. You just don't see kids his age who can run pick and roll so naturally, who can make plays and find guys on the move with both their left and right hand. He's got a great feel for the court, and summer league can only show so much of that. When he has NBA players all around him, its going to open up the court so much more for him."

The combination of foul trouble and on-court struggles forced Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce to limit Young's playing time. He was on the court for just 26 minutes against the Mavs after averaging 34.7 minutes in the past three games. 

This game won't show up on Young's highlight reel, but it was a key step in his development process. 

The Hawks are still in the early stages of rebuilding, giving them the luxury of allowing Young to work his way through struggles during games. He was able to step up late and give his team a boost that propelled them to victory. 

What's Next?

The Mavericks conclude their brief two-game Eastern Conference road trip against the Toronto Raptors at the Scotiabank Arena on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Hawks will stay home to host the Chicago Bulls on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.