Power rankings speak more to the momentum of the present, rather than a projection of contention. But however you slice it, the Dallas Mavericks have been on a steady rise since opening night. Now 9-3, just half a game behind the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets for the best record in the league — it ultimately doesn’t matter how light the schedule has been. The Mavericks are winning the games in front of them.
They moved past a stinker in New Orleans Tuesday night with an emphatic road win against the lowly Washington Wizards Wednesday.