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The Mavericks are in something of a post-new year malaise, having come down from the high of beating the Warriors, but not yet figured out how to maintain consistent effort on a night to night basis. This week's rankings basically reflect that, as most rankers keep the Mavericks in the same spot they were in last week.
As always, you can read the full ranks for any site by clicking "what they said." Let us know what you think of their thoughts and ranks in the comments!
ESPN
This week: 11 Last week: 11
The joy derived from seeing Dirk Nowitzki climb to No. 6 on the all-time scoring charts, followed by Dallas' dismantling of the Warriors sans Steph Curry, perished over the weekend thanks to a back-to-back that inflicted two types of suffering. The Mavs' position in the standings, though, continues to surprise as much as anything in this wacky West.
CBS Sports
This week: 11 Last week: 15
I've been talking about their "balanced schedule" for months, but this is what I mean. They get the Bulls, but on a back to back after Christmas. That's a win. Then the Bucks, then the Warriors, but they caught one of the few games Curry has missed the past two years. They get an easy four-game stretch this week followed by a tough four-game stretch, then back to every other game being difficult. Honestly, it's how every team's schedule should be designed for maximum fairness.
NBA.com
This week: 13 Last week: 13
The Mavs went 4-0 and beat the Warriors on Wednesday without Deron Williams, but J.J. Barea's magic might have had a Dec. 31 expiration date. He shot 6-for-19 as the Mavs scored less than a point per possession in weekend losses to Miami and New Orleans. Chandler Parsons is back in the starting lineup, but Williams reinjured his hamstring on Saturday. Dallas' top four offensive guys have played just 136 minutes together.
Sports Illustrated
This week: 13 Last week: 13
The Mavericks became the second team to beat the Warriors this season after lucking into a Curry-less matchup. But after a four-game win streak, Dallas blew games against Miami and New Orleans to start 2016 with inconsistent energy. They're in good shape relative to the rest of the West, but also hard to buy in a seven-game series right now.
USA Today
This week: 11 Last week: 11
Dirk moving up the all-time scoring list
NBC Sports
This week: 11 Last week: 11
They beat Golden State this week, that's a good win (and I don't care who did or didn't suit up for GSW). But consistency is lacking as evidenced by the loss to the Pelicans over the weekend. Winnable stretch of games (Kings, Pelicans, Bucks, Timberwolves) if the Mavs bring the same focus every night.