New Dallas Mavericks point guard Darren Collison is, not surprisingly, a big fan of playing with Dirk Nowitzki.

Collison had nine assists and 14 points in the Mavericks' 89-84 exhibition win over German League team Alba Berlin on Saturday, and credited playing with Nowitzki for being so open to the Dallas Morning News:

"I know one thing," Collison said, "coming off that screen from Dirk, I haven't ever been that open in my entire life."

The Mavs had a whopping 27 turnovers against the German League team. Still, Nowitzki said the team is optimistic with guys like Collison on board:

"We got a lot of shooters now," Nowitzki said. "We've got some playmakers that can run off those screens, so once we iron out the problems, we should be able to score."

The Mavericks don't open their NBA preseason schedule until Oct. 15, when they host the Houston Rockets. The regular season for Dallas tips off Oct. 30 when the Mavs play at the Los Angeles Lakers.