Mavericks take massive drop in NBA power rankings after Anthony Davis injury

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The Dallas Mavericks are struggling as they go into the new calendar year with Anthony Davis on the sidelines once again with an injury.
A groin strain for Davis will keep him out for a while, and the team is currently trending in the wrong direction. That's why NBA.com writer John Schuhmann placed the Mavericks at No. 26 in his weekly power rankings, a seven-spot drop from the previous edition.
"The Mavs got a good win over the Nuggets on Tuesday, but Anthony Davis (adductor injury) is out again and they’ve lost four of their last five games," Schuhmann wrote.
"Davis has yet to play in more than five straight games and, with their loss in Sacramento on Saturday, the Mavs are 4-13 without him. Eleven of those 13 losses have been within five points in the last five minutes (they continue to lead the league in clutch games), but they’ve scored just 106.3 points per 100 possessions over those 17 games overall. Saturday was just the fourth time that the Kings have allowed less than 105 per 100."
READ MORE: Mavericks interest in Trae Young in potential Anthony Davis trade with Hawks revealed

Mavericks take major hit in power rankings
The Mavericks are fighting for one of the final spots in the play-in tournament, so not having Davis for the foreseeable future is going to tank those chances. All the Mavericks can do is push forward and try to play the best they can without him.
"The Mavs have now lost six straight road games and will complete a three-game trip in Portland on Monday. One of their four wins without Davis came in mid-November against the Blazers, who they trail by a game and a half for the final SoFi Play-In Tournament spot in the West," Schuhmann wrote.
After the team's loss against the Blazers on Monday, the Mavs return home for two games at the end of the week against the Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets.
READ MORE: Anthony Davis among 5 Mavericks on injury report vs. Trail Blazers
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Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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