Cooper Flagg, Mavericks seeing progress in NBA power rankings

The Dallas Mavericks are struggling this season with injuries and circumstances beyond their control, but they are doing their best in starting out the Cooper Flagg era.

The team picked up a big win against the Houston Rockets at home over the weekend, which is part of the reason why NBA.com writer John Schuhmann placed them at No. 25 in his latest power rankings. The team moved up one spot from the previous edition.

"Anthony Davis missed only two games with his latest injury, played 76 total minutes over his first two games back, and led the Mavs (with 26 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks) to a win over the Rockets on Saturday," Schuhmann wrote.

"Overall, the Mavs are just 3-8 (only the Kings have been worse) in games played between the seven West teams with losing records. The three-game trip that begins Tuesday includes games in Sacramento and Utah."

Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis reacts after scoring during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Mavericks make move in NBA power rankings

The only teams ranked below the Mavericks are the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, and Indiana Pacers. It isn't exactly where the Mavs are hoping to be, but they are making progress in the right direction.

The Mavs saw some progress on defense against the Rockets, which is something they hope continues in the future.

"The win on Saturday ended a four-game losing streak and was the Rockets’ worst offensive game of the season (104 points on 101 possessions)," Schuhmann wrote.

"The five games prior were the Mavs’ worst stretch of defense (120.3 points allowed per 100), but they still rank in the top 10 on that end of the floor, having seen the league’s sixth biggest improvement from last season. Of course, a lot of that improvement is from the league’s second-biggest drop in opponent 3-point percentage, and time will tell if it sustains."

In the meantime, the Mavericks are back in action as they head out to the West Coast to face off against the Sacramento Kings. Tip-off is scheduled for tomorrow at 10:00 pm CT inside the Golden One Center. Fans can watch the game on NBC or stream it on Peacock.

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