Just like that, the NBA season is back. And if everything goes according to plan, it will be better than ever for the Dallas Mavericks.

First on the schedule was media day. This annual tradition is where players express the unbridled optimism for a season that, for a majority of the league, will end in disappointment.

Media day is somewhat like the first day of school as a kid. Everyone picked out what they were going to wear. They predetermined what they were going to say. And they had an idea of who they wanted to be heading into the new year. However, much like the first day of school, the ideas you have of what things will be like versus what happens rarely, if ever, align.

Still, media is fun. It provides semantics that we all eat up. We are sold on optimism. And we drink the Kool-Aid regarding championship expectations. So, here are the highlights of what was said by coach Jason Kidd, Luka Dončić, Kristaps Porzingis, and some other players on a Monday media day filled with smiles, laughs, jeers, and some cheers.

The best of head coach Jason Kidd:

1.) Coaching Luka Dončić is a dream. Dončić is so good that he can make almost anyone look like a basketball savant on the sidelines. Kidd knows this. He likened Dončić's prodigy status to a "young Picasso," who has all the tools for success.

"[Luka] is very talented, loves to win, and understands how to play the game at a very high level," Kidd said. "As a coach, I don't know if anyone told Picasso that he had to use all the paints, but I just want to remind Luka that he can rely on his teammates. His teammates are there to help him."

2.) Kidd wants everyone to know that this season the Mavericks will play defense. In the Dončić era, scoring the ball hasn't been a concern, but stopping opposing teams has. Against the Clippers, the Mavericks lost a 3-2 series lead because they couldn't stop anyone – let alone Kawhi Leonard. Kidd is making sure those days are over. He wants guys to play faster and harder on defense, knowing that it will lead to more opportunistic offense.

"It's about work and trust, and as we build and go along this journey, hopefully, we will be here in June," Kidd said.

3.) One step in team continuity is vaccination. With the differing laws varying by state, the Mavericks' vaccination status is important. Kidd doesn't see it as becoming a problem. He currently estimates that 90-percent of players are vaccinated. He asserted that 100-percent of the coaching staff is vaccinated, as well. Though he did not "pick a side," Kidd did suggest that everything is still up to the players to decide for themselves.

4.) One of Kidd's primary goals – outside of winning – is getting Porzingis back to an All-Star level. Kidd believes that with the healthy summer Porzingis will have a "great year."

The best of Luka Dončić:

1.) Dončić laughed at Kidd's comparison to a young Picasso, but he does understand that there are still parts of his game he has to work on for the Mavericks to succeed this season. The one skill Dončić directly mentioned was trusting his teammates.

"We got to hang out with each other more," Dončić said. "That is what we did with the Slovenian national team. We were together all the time."

Dončić credits his Olympic experience with Slovenia as a primary agent in his growth as a leader. Trusting his teammates begins with being a vocal leader in the locker room. That is something he hasn't done much of in his three seasons, but this year, he expects to do more and say more in the locker room.

"Leadership, you develop it through the years," Dončić said. "Obviously I learned from the playoffs and the Olympics. And one thing I learned is that I have to be more vocal with the team."

2.) After Dončić signed his five-year, $207-million extension this summer, he spoke of the need to build chemistry throughout the roster. Already, the Mavericks have been playing pick-up basketball with one another. Dončić noted that even this small action indicates a push towards building meaningful chemistry from the top down.

3.) To Dončić, he and Kristaps Porzingis appear to finally be on the same page. The duo hasn't had the breakout season the organization hoped for when they traded for Porzingis in 2019. However, with a healthy offseason, Dončić believes that this is the year they figure things out together.

"This year will be better," Dončić said. "He [Porzingis] will have a great year this year because he's in a better place mentally… And he can make almost every shot."

4.) As for MVP hopes and votes, Dončić said he isn't concerned about any of it. All he wants to do is help his team win an NBA championship in June. Some may call what Dončić said player-speak, but to him, it appears to be true. All he wants to do is win.

"I don't care about that [MVP], it's only the beginning of the season," Dončić said. "My goal is to win a championship, that is it."

The best of Kristaps Porzingis:

1.) What seems to excite Porzingis the most heading into a new NBA season is the chance he gets to prove all his doubters wrong. All summer Porzingis heard the critics of his game, but he said he used it to fuel his drive to improve every day.

2.) Under Kidd, Porzingis is hopeful for more post-up touches, but he also understands that he needs to do what will help the team win moving forward, he said. Still, he is eager to show Mavericks fans that he is more than a floor spacer. Porzingis put on weight, he said. And he is excited to see what this season will throw at him as a player.

3.) Playing better doesn't stop at scoring more points. Porzingis wants to play better on defense too. He knows that he's capable of defending at a high level. And he needs to do so if the Mavericks aim to compete in the playoffs.

4.) Porzingis' view of things is relatively simple: he just wants to get back to having fun while playing basketball. It's not life or death for him; the game is supposed to be fun. He's played his best when the game was fun. Getting back there will make all the difference in Porzingis growing into the best version of himself.

"This [last season] was part of the journey," Porzingis said. "You have ups and downs, and I didn't want to feel like the victim in any sense… Here we are, about to start another season, and it feels good. It feels right.

"I am doing everything from my end to be correct, to be in shape, and to be the best player I can be for this team."

Other notes from Monday's media day:

• Frank Ntilikina spoke highly of Reggie Bullock. The two played together in New York last season, and he believes that Dallas is "about to find out how great of a shooter he is."
• Tim Hardaway Jr. placed a premium on the shape Porzingis is in heading into the season. The two have played alongside each other for several years, and Hardaway asserts that he's "never seen Porzingis this focused on a season."
• Jalen Brunson's breakout season ended in playoff disappointment. This summer, he's used that as fuel to motivate him. In the Mavericks exit interviews, he said he needed to work on consistency and confidence. During media day, he echoed a very similar sentiment on how he's grown in both areas.

Looking ahead:

There you have it, the media day Kool-Aid in all its glory. Whether you choose to drink it or not is up to you.

There is an exceedingly high level of excitement around the team. The change in the coaching staff has ignited a commitment to communication that each player appears to appreciate.

From Kidd to Dončić to Porzingis to everyone else, winning is more important than ego and personal statistics. It's the making of a special group with a centralized purpose in achieving the unthinkable.

Dončić may have gotten better over the summer. Porzingis may average 24 and 10. Hardaway may enjoy another consistent season. Brunson may grow as a playmaker. And it's also possible that the Mavericks find themselves as a top-four team in the Western Conference.

Or, that may all be a dream. Only time will tell.

However, often in the calm before the storm, you feel what's coming in the air. The same can be said for the Mavericks. There is a calm, serenity, and togetherness with this team that indicates what is coming is a storm for the rest of the league. And if it doesn't happen, just know that even I fell for the media day Kool-Aid and all of its sweetness.

Related Mavericks reading:

"What are the expectations for Kristaps Porzingis this season."

Feature image via Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports.