Mavericks get puzzling placement in NBA power rankings

Mavericks stay pat in power rankings

The only teams that ranked behind the Mavericks in the Power Rankings were the Portland Trail Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, and Sacramento Kings.

While things have been good for the Mavericks, it is not all roses and rainbows. The team announced that Dereck Lively II will be out for the rest of the season with a foot injury. That will force the other big men on the team to step up throughout the year.

"The Mavs announced on Wednesday that Dereck Lively II will have surgery on his right foot and miss the rest of the season. He’ll still be just 22 years old at the start of next season, and this should be a long-term project built around Cooper Flagg, who turns 19 on Sunday. But through his first three NBA seasons, Lively will have played in only 98 regular-season games," Schuhmann wrote.

In the meantime, the Mavericks will be back in action on Thursday when they host Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons, who are the number one team in the Eastern Conference. Then, the shift focuses on Saturday when they take on the Philadelphia 76ers on the road.

These games will be good litmus tests for the Mavs to see where they are at this point in the season.

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