The Dallas Mavericks returned to action strong Thursday night in a playoff-like battle at home against the Phoenix Suns. It took the Mavericks a few beats to get back into the rhythm they had before the All-Star break, but they brought an intensity that will be missed.
The schedule ahead will not be easy, but the current performance of the teams is encouraging as they compete for position to avoid play-in games. There are some numbers on this week's Power Rankings Watch that show this version of the Mavericks is a problem for the league, especially since acquiring both P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.
The Mavericks have real depth when healthy, and it showed in his return. And beyond that depth, we're seeing athletic diversity that Dallas hasn't seen in a while. Supporting Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, these two weapons should be the focus of attention around the league in the coming weeks.
NBA
Rank: 7
Last week: 7
The Mavs have won six straight games (the longest active record in the West) and are one game behind the fifth-place Suns, who they play at home on Thursday.
3 numbers you need to know
The Mavs have one of the best clutch records in the league, going 17-6 in games in which the lead was five points or less in the last five minutes. They boast the league's second-best clutch offense (128 points per 100 possessions), with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combining for 30-of-60 (50%) and 11-of-23 on clutch field goals. He made it (48% on clutch 3-pointers) and 29-of-33 (88%) on clutch free throws.
They have the largest gap in the league between their records when they make above-average 3-point shots (23-5, 2nd) and when they don't (9-18, 18th). .
They have the best record of the four teams without lineups that have played at least 100 minutes together (the others being Charlotte, Memphis and Miami). Their three most used lineups include Grant Williams, who was traded at the deadline.
The Mavs only have 11 home games left, tied for the fewest in the league (with Brooklyn). The biggest of the 11 games will be the first, which will decide the season series against Phoenix. The road team won both of their first two meetings.
The Athletic
Rank: 9 (Tier 2: On the Brink of Conflict)
Last week: 11
First quarter: +5.9 Online Rating (7th place) | Previously -5.7 (21st place)
Second quarter: Online rating +0.3 (15th place) | Previously -0.5 (15th place)
Third quarter: Online rating +0.4 (18th place) | Previously +5.5 (7th place)
Fourth quarter: Online rating -1.4 (19th place) | Previously +1.0 (17th place)
clutch: +23.5 Net Rating (1st place) | 23 games (17 wins, 6 losses) | Previously +21.6 (tied for 5th place)
remove: I think this is the best clutch team in the NBA and will only be deadly for their opponents. I love last-minute additions. And Luka Doncic is playing as well as you would expect from a star player. The Mavericks not only have the best clutch time net rating in the clutch, they also have the best record of such. All are good decisions and the probability of turning the ball over is an incomprehensibly low 7%. If you don't blow it out, you run the risk of it being cooked.
Key statistics
record 32-23
Attack power evaluation 117.5 (11th place)
Defense power evaluation 116.2 (19th place)
Internet evaluation 1.3
sports illustrated
Rank: 8
Last week: 7
Speaking of teams with better-than-expected defensive ratings, the Mavs are seventh in the NBA over the past 10 games. Daniel Gafford's per 36 hits are incredible (25.3 points, 20.3 rebounds, 4 blocks) and Dante Exum is an incredible contributor. His first season in Dallas is nearing his return from a knee injury. Mavs' upcoming schedule brutalA home date with Phoenix will be a good test for this rookie roster before a road trip that includes trips to Indiana, Cleveland and Boston.
