:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46076106/usa-today-8495155.0.jpg)
Another pretty uneventful week in power rankings land for the Mavs, who this past week had an impressive win over the Thunder, a frustrating loss to Houston, and an expected loss to the Warriors.
Now that the Mavs have clinched the playoffs, and are all but assured the seventh seed, the waiting begins to see who the opponent will be. In the meantime, the team has a still-challenging slate of games ahead that mean something to the teams they're playing. So it remains to be seen what adjustments Carlisle may or may not make as the team gets ready for the dance.
Let us here you in the comments, and as always, you can read the full rankings for each site by clicking on "what they said."
SB Nation
This Week: 10 Last Week: 10
The Mavericks' regular season has been rocky, but seeing this team locked into a seven-game series is going to be a wonderful experiment to watch. Can Rajon Rondo come up big when it matters most? Will Dirk Nowitzki sting the hearts of opposing fans one fadeaway at a time? The Mavericks are like Frankenstein. It's almost time to either scream "IT'S ALIVE" or walk away disappointed.
Yahoo! Sports
This Week: 9 Last Week: 10
Good luck to the advance scouts of the expected seventh-seeded Mavericks, as their first-round opponent could be one of five West teams.
CBS Sports
This Week: 12 Last Week: 13
It's tempting to write them off, but then you see flashes of Playoff Dirk hanging around, and realize their defensive potential is so much higher based on personnel than what they've shown, and how they played in the first round last year.
ESPN
This Week: 11 Last Week: 11
Unless the Mavs have a 4-1 finish in store, with Chandler Parsons (knee) dinged up and little to play for with their playoff position essentially locked in, it would appear that the 2014-15 Western Conference will have to settle for six 50-win teams. Dallas, remember, was a 49-win No. 8 seed last season.
Sports Illustrated
This Week: 11 Last Week: 11
The Mavericks own the worst record (10-12) of any West playoff team since the All-Star break, So what ails Dallas? Defense and rebounding. The Mavs rank in the bottom third of the league in defensive rating (104.8) over that span and are dead last in rebounding percentage (46.6).