NBA Power Rankings: Playoff Edition

14. team. 79. <p>Shout-out to Rick Carlisle and Dirk Nowitzki.</p> <p>This Dallas Mavericks team has no business being in the playoffs. To be fair, the Mavs still have more available talent than the Grizzlies and more consistency at the top of the roster than the Rockets, but Dallas has faced injury and age concerns all season. In addition, this team wasn’t even supposed to be good when healthy, as the Mavericks are in the midst of something of a rebuild at the end of Dirk’s career and playing in the usually loaded Western Conference.</p> <p>Now comes the rough part.</p> <p>The Mavs are, essentially, a .500 team in every way, from their 42-40 record to a net rating of +0.6 points per 100 possessions on the season. Dallas isn’t particularly noteworthy on the offensive end outside of Dirk, and in part because of his shortcomings, the Mavs are kind of brutal on a nightly basis in defending the opposition. Throw in the fact that J.J. Barea is prominently involved as a principle creator of the offense, and trouble probably arises.</p> <p>It would be a mistake to count out Rick Carlisle in the playoffs because he is that good, but Dallas isn’t really a threat to make a run as currently constructed.</p>. (42-40). Previous: . Dallas Mavericks