Mavs Move to Top 5 in NBA Power Rankings with Win at Celtics
After a strong week aside from a blowout home loss to the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks are coming off a successful 3-1 week. The Mavs capped this stretch off with an impressive road win over the Boston Celtics on national television, and have seemingly caught the eye of many around the league as a result.
In NBA.com's weekly power rankings, the Mavericks earned the fifth spot trailing only the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Memphis Grizzlies. Dallas moves up by two spots on the latest edition after ranking seventh previously.
© Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
© Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
© Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
The Mavericks' holding the league's best record (13-3) over the last 5 1/2 weeks was key in their ranking on the list. In addition to the Knicks loss, there have been some letdown losses along the way to teams like the Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder, but regardless, they've played at a very high level for quite some time.
"Defeats don’t come much worse than the one the Mavs suffered (by 30 points to New York) on Wednesday, their worst offensive performance (77 points on 92 possessions) since October. But the Mavs are still tied for the league’s best record (13-3) over the last 5 1/2 weeks, and their two big wins last week far outweigh what was (wildly) their sixth straight home loss to the Knicks."
It's difficult to argue the Mavericks not being included in the top five after their road win against the Celtics, who have played incredible basketball as of late. Boston was playing so well entering that game to the point where Jayson Tatum went from being unranked to leaping past Luka Doncic on NBA.com's MVP ladder.
Doncic has been playing at a very high level since returning from the NBA health & safety protocol right before the start of the new calendar year—coinciding with the Mavericks' drastic turnaround in play.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Perhaps what puts Doncic's play best into perspective is how he earned Western Conference Player of the Month in February and also was named Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday.
No longer with the distraction of having to involve Kristaps Porzingis in the half-court offense, the Mavericks are able to embrace an identity where players know and embrace their role. With the unit having speed on defense and Jason Kidd getting them to buy in, the rest has solved itself.
Coming up next for the Mavericks on their schedule will be some intriguing tests as they continue their East Coast road trip. Next, they face Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets, followed by Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.
