The Dallas Mavericks have a bright future. Luka Doncic is the front-runner for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award and, on the heels of draft-related questions on his ultimate upside, the Slovenian youngster has been better than advertised. Elsewhere, the Mavericks are incredibly well-coached and, to put it plainly, few expected Dallas to seriously challenge for a playoff spot in the loaded Western Conference this season.
Just two weeks ago, the Mavericks boasted a 15-11 record that placed them directly in the mix and there was plenty of reason to be excited about the present-day outlook, along with the obvious future ramifications. Since then, Dallas has slipped considerably, losing six straight games and falling to an almost unthinkable 2-14 away from home.
It is certainly worth noting that the team’s last five losses have come by single-digits against playoff-caliber competition. Context is key, and Dallas isn’t at a point where ripping off road wins against playoff-caliber competition should be expected. Still, this recent stretch was a stark reminder that Dallas probably isn’t built to compete at the highest level this season, and a glance at FiveThirtyEight’s projections does not speak favorably of the Mavericks’ chances to crash the playoff party.
There is plenty to play for in Dallas, especially when it comes to determining what kind of cast needs to be assembled around Doncic moving forward, along with the possible swan song of a no-doubt Hall of Fame player in Dirk Nowitzki. It’s probably time to be candid with regard to what the team is for 2018-19, however, and that means the reality that Dallas will probably be sending a (late) lottery pick to Atlanta to complete the trade involving Doncic and Trae Young.
Where do the Mavs fall in the pecking order that is the DIME power rankings this week? Let’s find out.
1. Milwaukee Bucks (23-10, Last week — 4th)
It feels odd to send Milwaukee to the top spot on the heels of a week that featured a loss to Miami. Still, the Bucks took care of business on Christmas and also went to Boston last week and beat the Celtics by double-figures. It also helps to have the NBA’s best net rating after 33 games.
2. Indiana Pacers (22-12, Last week — 3rd)
The Pacers are still rather anonymous on a national scale but that’s a mistake. Indiana has won nine of 11 and, even if it may not seem like it, they are firmly in the mix as a top-tier team in the East.
3. Golden State Warriors (23-12, Last week — 1st)
Not even the Warriors can get a pass for enduring a lopsided defeat, in their home building, on Christmas. It would be unwise to pick anyone over Golden State in a seven-game series, particularly at full strength, but there have been a few “uh-oh” moments so far during the regular season.
4. Toronto Raptors (25-10, Last week — 5th)
The Raptors still have the NBA’s best record but they aren’t playing like it at the moment. Toronto’s lost three of five and, just before the holiday, the team suffered a 25-point drubbing in Philly. That result is tough to ignore but other squads have run into similar roadblocks.
5. Boston Celtics (20-13, Last week — 7th)
The C’s needed overtime on Christmas but they picked up an impressive win and continued their dominance over the Sixers. That was a big result in a number of ways but it definitely kept them from a potential dip in this space. Boston is good.
6. Denver Nuggets (21-10, Last week — 2nd)
It feels harsh to drop the Nuggets four spots this week. I admit that. A 21-point loss to the struggling Clippers will do that, though, and Denver will have the chance to recover with an intriguing date in San Antonio on Wednesday.
7. Houston Rockets (18-15, Last week — 9th)
James Harden took 35 shots and, by his own standards, wasn’t particularly efficient under the bright lights on Tuesday. The Rockets still won and, in an overall sense, Harden’s brilliance has kept the train on the tracks when Houston was really struggling. Now, they’ve won seven of eight and this ranking feels right.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (20-14, Last week — 10th)
The injury-related exit from LeBron James will grab some of the headlines from Christmas but what the Lakers did to the Warriors was quite impressive. It wouldn’t be smart to ignore some of the up-and-down nature of what they’ve done recently but the holiday data point was definitely a positive one.
9. Oklahoma City Thunder (21-12, Last week — 6th)
There’s nothing inherently wrong with losing on the road in Houston. Oklahoma City didn’t perform well down the stretch on Christmas, though, and the loss feels worse in a world that doesn’t involve Chris Paul on the floor.
10. Philadelphia 76ers (22-13, Last week — 8th)
Speaking of losses that feel worse than they actually were, the Sixers had to be in pain after falling again to the Celtics. It’s just a reminder that Philly has more growth coming but they just aren’t there yet.
11. Utah Jazz (17-18, Last week — 22nd)
Christmas is behind us and the Jazz still have a sub-.500 record … so why is Utah rocketing up the rankings? Well, Quin Snyder’s team has won three of four games (the only loss coming to Oklahoma City by one point) and there are signs of life from a team that was projected for big things. A Christmas bludgeoning of the Blazers helped their cause.
12. San Antonio Spurs (18-16, Last week — 13th)
Life in San Antonio! The Spurs have won seven of nine games, even with a pre-Christmas loss to the Rockets on the road. That result shouldn’t be held against them and, in truth, the picture is a lot rosier than it was a few weeks ago for the formerly dynastic franchise.
13. Sacramento Kings (18-15, Last week — 18th)
The Kings have the worst net rating of any Western Conference playoff contender, which is certainly worth monitoring. Sacrament just keeps winning in spite of it. A home sweep of the Pelicans and Grizzlies earns them a bump this week.
14. Portland Trail Blazers (19-15, Last week — 11th)
It almost feels as if the Blazers should fall further, particularly when basing their overall standing on how they’ve fared against the Jazz in recent days. A lot of people watched Portland lose by 21 on Christmas but, on Friday, the Blazers lost the Jazz at home by 30. If not for a win over Dallas sandwiched in the middle, Portland would be a lot lower on this list.
15. Los Angeles Clippers (19-14, Last week — 12th)
The Clippers are 3-7 in their last 10 games but, on the bright side, a home win over Denver likely prevented a more significant drop. At this point, you’d struggle to find someone picking Los Angeles to make the playoffs but perhaps their strong start will buoy their season-long progress enough to make it interesting.
16. Memphis Grizzlies (17-16, Last week — 16th)
Like the Clippers, the Grizzlies are struggling to maintain their early gains. Memphis badly needed the road win they secured against the Lakers prior to Christmas but, prior to that, the team lost five straight games and is threatening the .500 mark. Not ideal as the calendar flips to 2019.
17. Miami Heat (16-16, Last week — 20th)
Look at the Heat! Miami’s won five straight and, while the most recent victory came over Orlando, the previous four arrived against better competition. In addition, the Heat have now outscored their opponents on the season, which felt unthinkable just a couple of weeks ago.
18. Charlotte Hornets (16-16, Last week — 23rd)
Charlotte is settling in as the picture of NBA mediocrity. That isn’t where most teams want to be but, if it comes with a playoff berth this season, it appears the Hornets are fine with it.
19. Minnesota Timberwolves (15-18, Last week — 17th)
After losing six of seven, the Wolves helped their current standing with a road win over Oklahoma City. With that out of the way, that singular result doesn’t fully mask the issues in Minnesota, as this isn’t a great basketball team right now.
20. Brooklyn Nets (16-19, Last week — 19th)
The Nets just keep coming. Brooklyn has won eight of nine and, even with every scheduling caveat imaginable, that is undeniably impressive. This may not end up being a playoff team, even in the East, but it’s officially time to discuss the Nets when evaluating the race for the No. 8 spot.
21. Dallas Mavericks (15-17, Last week — 14th)
The individual brilliance of Luka Doncic nearly allowed the Mavs to escape Portland with a win on Sunday evening but, as noted above, things aren’t going super well in Dallas. The team’s face-off with New Orleans on Wednesday could be instructive on both sides.
22. New Orleans Pelicans (15-19, Last week — 15th)
It would be fair to say that none of the Pelicans’ four consecutive losses were brutal in nature. Each defeat came by single-digits and only a home loss to the suddenly improved Heat was really a surprise. Still, New Orleans can’t afford to lose toss-up games anymore. The clock is ticking in more ways than one.
23. Detroit Pistons (15-16, Last week — 21st)
Remember when the Pistons were 13-7? Since then, Detroit has dropped nine of 11 and the team’s most recent result was a home loss to the Hawks in which their offense sputtered in comical fashion. The holiday arrives at a good time for the Pistons but only the overall struggles of the East provide optimism when it comes to Detroit’s playoff chances.
24. Washington Wizards (13-21, Last week — 25th)
Washington escaped with a triple-overtime win over Phoenix this week and that allows the Wizards to avoid a trip to the bottom five in this space. Still, the Wizards fell to the Hawks before suffering blowout losses to the Rockets and Pacers. It isn’t as if this team is playing well.
25. Orlando Magic (14-18, Last week — 24th)
All things considered, a 14-18 mark after 32 games isn’t a big-picture disappointment for the Magic. After a 12-12 start, though, Orlando has cooled considerably and three straight losses before Christmas help to paint the picture of a team that overachieved in the early going.
26. Atlanta Hawks (9-23, Last week — 30th)
Don’t look now, but the Hawks suddenly own one of the league’s longest winning streaks. Admittedly, it is only a three-game run of success and the victories came against the Wizards, Knicks and struggling Pistons. Still, it’s by far the best stretch of the season for Atlanta and it should be noted that the young team is playing better.
27. Chicago Bulls (9-25, Last week — 29th)
Much like Atlanta, the Bulls are riding a positive wave after back-to-back wins before Christmas. Chicago’s victories came against similarly poor competition (Cleveland and Orlando) but, at the very least, some of the jokes surrounding the team have faded for now.
28. Phoenix Suns (8-26, Last week — 26th)
After a brilliant (and kind of stunning) streak of four consecutive victories, the Suns fell back to Earth with back-to-back losses. Phoenix is still playing much better and their defeats to the Wizards and Nets came on the road by single-digits. That represents progress.
29. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-26, Last week — 28th)
The most recent data point for the Cavs was a 20-point home loss to the Bulls. There are worse results in the NBA this season but that’s definitely a bad one. For good measure, Cleveland has lost five of six.
30. New York Knicks (9-26, Last week — 27th)
Losing five in a row didn’t automatically place the Knicks in the basement. Losing one of those games at home to the Hawks was probably the ultimate X-factor.
