After the Mavericks traded for Rajon Rondo, very general consensus seemed to be it was the move they had to make, but no one was sure if it was the right move for THIS Dallas team. Nonetheless, the rankers took notice of that win over a (sure, depleted, but hey) Spurs team and moved the Mavs right on up a few spots in most cases.
As we fans know, the games since then have not been quite as promising, but this week's rankings don't take the loss to the Hawks or the loss to the Suns into account.
What do you think? Did the rankers over-react to the trade by moving the Mavs up? Do you expect they'll come crashing down to earth next week? (I certainly do.)
Let us know in the comments!
SB Nation
This Week: 5 Last Week: 7
The Mavericks made a huge move when they traded for Rajon Rondo, sweeping him away from a rebuilding project to a team with championship aspirations. It's hard to judge how he'll fit with the rest of the team, but Rick Carlisle has the chops to find different ways to make this experiment work. The Western Conference just got even more interesting, somehow.
Yahoo! Sports
This Week: 6 Last Week: 7
One Western Conference assistant coach said the loss of Brandan Wright in the Rajon Rondo trade would be detrimental to Dallas.
CBS Sports
This Week: 9 Last Week: 12
I'm very much ready for the Rajon Rondo era. Surly, non-communicative and wholly disrespectful? What can be more Texas than that?
ESPN
This Week: 9 Last Week: 9
The Rajon Rondo trade is far more dice roll than slam dunk. But the Mavs had to do it because this is who they are. They don't build through the draft. They don't rely on free agency. They make trade gambles on distressed big names and get them playing better in Dallas than they were elsewhere.
Sports Illustrated
This Week: 5 Last Week: 8
The Mavs' acquisition of Rajon Rondo prompted questions about how he would mesh with Monta Ellis in the backcourt. Dallas had to like the first taste: Ellis erupted for a season-high 38 points against San Antonio in the winning debut for Rondo, who finished with six points, nine assists and seven rebounds.