Mavs Drop in NBA Power Rankings: ‘Not Going to Be Easy,’ Says Coach Kidd

The Dallas Mavericks have lost seven of their last 10 games. Where does that put them in this week's power rankings?

Jeremy Brener | Jan 30, 2023

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Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are entering a crucial part of their schedule, perhaps the worst time possible for a Luka Dončić injury.

Dončić left Thursday's game against the Phoenix Suns with a toe injury and did not play Saturday in a loss against the Utah Jazz.

By losing three of four games last week, the Mavericks dropped three spots in this week's power rankings from Sports Illustrated from No. 11 to 14.

"Dallas missed Luka Dončić dearly last week," SI writes. "The league’s second-leading scorer went for 41 points and 15 rebounds in a one-point loss to the Wizards. Dončić left early the following game against the Suns with a toe injury after just three minutes played, and Spencer Dinwiddie stepped up to score 36 points in a gutsy road win.

“He nearly matched that output over the weekend with 35 against Utah, but it wasn’t enough with Dončić still sidelined for the eight-point defeat. The Mavericks, 3–7 over their last 10, currently hold a play-in spot in the West."

Dončić is questionable for tonight's game against the Detroit Pistons at home, which should act as a bounce-back game for the Mavs if all goes well. Then, the Mavs host the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday before heading out to the Bay Area for a Western Conference Finals rematch against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. That game will be the first of a brutal five-game road trip for Dallas.

“It’s not an easy [upcoming] schedule,” coach Jason Kidd said. “We play most of them on the road, so this gives us an opportunity to improve our road record, but it’s not going to be easy. And then health. We would like to get healthy here before the [All-Star] break so that we can start fully healthy and ready to go after the break.”

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Published Jan 30, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.