The preseason is built for jumping to conclusions and over-excitement. The Dallas Mavericks' 2-1 record in the preseason lends credence to both overreactions and excitement. Let's face it the Mavericks played great basketball, and though Luka Doncic may be young–the future for this Mavs team is right now. So, clear the runway for significant overreactions, and clear cut misplaced excitement as we dive into three things we learned from this Mavericks preseason.

1.) The bench depth:

I know it's preseason, which means more players get opportunities to play. But the Mavericks have real bench depth, that can help the team as it gets into the thick of the NBA season.

In the Mavericks' first preseason game against the Bucks, the bench accounted for 76 points. In the second game, the bench matched the effort with 56. And in both games, the Mavs won,  highlighting just how many quality players are on the roster. Players like Trey Burke, Jalen Brunson, and Maxi Kleber are guys that won't be bench fillers, instead expect them to play meaningful minutes down the stretch for the team.

In the sole loss the Mavs suffered in the preseason, the bench still accounted for 55 total points. And in a game that was decided in overtime, Rick Carlisle chose to close the game out with the bench lineup.

I know it's only preseason, but Carlisle's trust in his rotational players bodes well going forward. Dallas needs someone to alleviate pressure from Doncic, and that is best done through a committee of shot creators and shot makers.

2.) Maxi Kleber's shooting is legit:

Against the Timberwolves Kleber totaled 14 points, going 4-6 from three. On the court, he was a plus five and provided offensive spacing for the guards to get downhill towards the basket.

Kleber is a big who is great in the catch and shoot. He can't necessarily create his own shot, but Dallas isn't asking him to do so. He just needs to make outside jumpers to open the floor up for Luka to create.

In two games against Milwaukee, Kleber shot 6-9 from three. He seemingly left behind his NBA bubble shooting struggles. And going forward, I expect him to be a critical part of Dallas' offensive gameplan. He provides an offensive option, that in the modern NBA, is a necessity. Kleber's shooting is legit. The Mavs will need it going forward in order to compete.

3.) Tim Hardaway Jr. And Josh Richardson are the x-factors:

The perfect off guards for Doncic are already on the team. Hardaway, a slithery catch and shooter finisher, and Richardson, an athletic pesky wing defender who can shoot compliment the Mavs' Luka centric playstyle perfectly.

Yes, there will be nights where Hardaway goes 2-9 from three. But, there will also be nights where he goes 5-10. That is the nature of his game and the Mavs are better with him shooting than with him off the floor. The hope is that Hardaway Jr. finds consistency because of the open looks Doncic creates for him.

Richardson provides adequate floor spacing, while also being the more active of the two on defense. In 27 minutes against the Timberwolves, Richardson was a +21 with 13 points. He shot 5-8 from the floor and 3-5 from three. Much like Hardaway Jr., Richardson plays off of Doncic well. In bringing in Richardson and doubling down on Hardawy Jr., the Mavs are doubling-down on the Luka centric model. As long as each player plays up to his potential the Mavs have a great shot at being a top-three team in the west.

Related reading on Josh Richardson and where he fits in with the Mavs.

Related reading on Luka Doncic's next step. 

Feature image via Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports