NBA Power Rankings: The Celtics continue winning despite adversity

29. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are still in the bottom of both offensive and defensive ratings, but they can take some moral victories from this week. Beating the Wizards is itself is a positive, and hanging with the Cavs, and almost coming back late, was a positive too. For a team that feels dead in the water already, weeks like this aren’t a bad thing.

The question, though, is will this be the group all year? Could a Wesley Matthews, who did a really good job against LeBron James on Saturday, be tradeable at some point? Will Nerlens Noel be on the team in the month? How they maneuver for this year, and for the future, is the biggest story to watch for this team.