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Hey you fine fine people of MMB. Power rankings are back. GET HYPE.
For those of you who followed my power rankings post last year, I'm doing things a little differently this year. Most of that is due to time constraints. If there's popular demand for the old format I'll consider bringing it back, but my thinking is to make it a little more Mavericks-focused this time around. After all, who cares about other teams, come on now.
Some comments for this week: Sports Illustrated, wtf? Moving the Mavs DOWN? In all honesty, though, it's the Western Conference. The Mavs are 100% in the playoff picture until they prove otherwise, so I guess I'll take anything 8 or higher. That being said...three? POSSIBLY ONE? NICE.
For the full rankings on any of the quoted sites, click through on the "what they said" link. And remember, these rankings don't take into account the Boston win last night. Comment away!
SB Nation
This week: 4 Last week: 9
Give Rick Carlisle personnel to work with and he'll make great things happen. The Mavericks have the best offense in the NBA, putting up 118.8 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com. Six players are averaging double-digit scoring, and Dirk Nowtizki, Ageless Wonder, is averaging 18.7 points on 55.8 percent shooting.
Yahoo! Sports
This week: 8 Last week: 8
Dirk Nowitzki needs 105 points to pass Hakeem Olajuwon to become the top international scorer in NBA history.
CBS Sports
This week: 3 Last week: 7
They would be No. 1 if not for the loss to the Spurs on opening night. They've looked terrific in terms of how their team has adapted. Dallas has balance on both sides of the ball, speed, savvy and versatility. Expect big things from them.
ESPN
This week: 3 Last week: 6
Even if you think they should have won in San Antonio, it's hard to quibble too much with the Mavs' start. Dirk and Monta have it going already, Tyson Chandler looks right back at home, Dallas manufactured a nice win in New Orleans.
Sports Illustrated
This week: 8 Last week: 5
Dallas leading the league in offensive efficiency (118.8 points per 100 posessions). Its revamped defense anchored by Tyson Chandler, however, is still a work in progress (109.1 rating). The same goes for the point guard rotation, which added another veteran last week in J.J. Barea, a Mav from 2006-11.