The Mavericks have the 13th-best starting lineup, says CBS Sports

The Mavericks’ starting lineup has changed yet again, and according to CBS Sports’ NBA staff, that’s a good thing. They have ranked Dallas’ starting five as the 13th best in the NBA, ahead of the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks and behind the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers.

There’s no doubt that Andrew Bogut is the better player than Zaza Pachulia when healthy, and Harrison Barnes will be an upgrade over the hampered version of Chandler Parsons that Dallas had last year. Here’s what CBS said:

Yet again, the Mavs have made some changes to their starting lineup. Dallas did make some significant upgrades with the addition of Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut. Defensively, they should be better, mainly due to Bogut's presence, and Barnes gives the Mavs another offensive weapon to pair with Dirk Nowitzki. Another season in Rick Carlisle's system should also help Wesley Matthews and bringing back Deron Williams makes sense. Dallas should be better than it was last season, but how much better is up in the air.

The Mavericks are hoping Deron Williams and Dirk Nowitzki both remain steady with seasons similar to what they put up last year, while Wesley Matthews takes a step back towards his 2014-15 self, a year and a half removed from his torn Achilles.

In the Southwest Division, the Mavericks come in third, behind San Antonio (4) and Memphis (8) but ahead of Houston (16) and New Orleans (24). The Mavericks are also eighth in the Western Conference, so factor that into the team’s playoff chances however you will.