NBA Power Rankings: Are Mavs Already Better Than Jazz?

In a recent power ranking, the Dallas Mavericks were placed higher than the Utah Jazz. DallasBasketball.com discusses why the Mavericks could end the season as the better team.

Are the Dallas Mavericks already a better team than the Utah Jazz? Most would likely answer ‘no’ to that question, but recently, the Jazz have given the appearance of being the lesser squad.

NBA reporter Marc Stein listed the Mavs as the eleventh-best team in the NBA, with the Jazz right behind them in a recent power ranking. On an interesting side note, Dallas is also well ahead of some of the coastal elites on this list. The Mavs are currently seven spots ahead of the New York Knicks and nine spots ahead of LeBron Jame’s Los Angeles Lakers.

So, what would prompt Stein to rank a Western Conference title contender so low? The Jazz started 19-7 after the signing of CEO Danny Ainge, but they followed that great opening stretch with an underwhelming 11-14 record in the 25 games since. Such a slide warrants skepticism of Utah’s contention status. Add on the devastating Joe Ingles season-ending ACL injury, and you have yet another legitimate reason to be down on the Jazz.

The Mavericks are closing in on the Jazz in the real Western Conference playoff standings after finishing the month of January with a sizzling 12-4 record. Here is the list of teams the Mavs bested in that stretch: the Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies (twice), Golden State Warriors, and the Denver Nuggets. 

Although the Orlando Magic shocked the NBA world by beating Dallas on Sunday night, the Mavericks still have a decent track record of being able to beat contending teams this season. That alone should show that they have a change of winning a playoff series as long as superstar Luka Doncic, who has reportedly lost 15 pounds since the start of the season, stays healthy.

As the Jazz continue to struggle, the Mavs are on their heels like a chihuahua protecting its owner. While only trailing the Jazz by one game, it's highly possible that the Mavs overtake them in the standings. In fact, it could happen in the next couple of days.

With home-court implications surrounding the Jazz and Mavs, each game holds importance as they jockey for playoff positioning. It is very plausible that these two teams could end up facing each other in the postseason.

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