Power rankings system devised and compiled weekly by Stemshul. “Expert” analysis by paradroid.
One of the biggest risers this week was the now #11 Dallas Mavericks, up 6 spots. They actually got off to a quick start this year. After getting to 9-4 under new coach Jason Kidd, who won a title in Dallas in 2011, the Mavs began to struggle, falling to 12-13. And then franchise player Luka Doncic hurt his ankle and ended up missing nine games. Dallas managed to stay afloat by going 4-5 during his absence, leaning on Kristaps Porzingis to lead the line. Porzingis is being used as more than just a spot up shooter by Kidd, which is how former coach Rick Carlisle tended to employ him. After he was acquired from the Knicks, the Unicorn really struggled to find a place in the offense. Doncic is a ball-dominant star, and it can be difficult to incorporate another star alongside him. But the 7’3” Porzingis can post up and offer another option to Doncic just initiating all the offense by himself. Kidd seems to be better at mixing the big man into the team’s offense, which should make Dallas more dangerous come playoff time. Since Doncic returned this week, Dallas is 3-0 and are now two games over .500, which has them in the 5th slot if the playoffs started today. Of course, the 4 teams behind them (the #16 Lakers, the #13 Nuggets, the #17 Clippers, and the #18 Timberwolves) are all within 2 games, so there’s definitely work to be done.
The other issue for the Mavericks has been Luka himself. He’s been producing well (although down a little from previous years), but he’s noticeably out of shape (not that he was ever the fittest), and although the last year was a strange one , he’s still only 22. It is going to require a change in behavior to be able to play at the highest level as he gets older. He has also had issues with complaining to the officials when the calls don’t go his way, sometimes to the detriment of him getting back on defense. Doncic is not a strong defender in the first place, so the last thing he needs to do is worry more about the call on the previous play than playing defense on the upcoming possession. If Luka fully commits to his conditioning (and can concentrate on game more than the officiating), he could be the best player in the league. We’ll have to see what happens. And we’ll see if Kidd can get the best out of both stars this year. Dallas has been a fringe contender since Doncic came into the NBA, but this is year four. Taking the next step is the hard part.
Detroit had a decent week, at least at the start. The Pistons beat the Spurs (#24) and Bucks (#9), and looked like a decent team. Then came blowout losses to Charlotte (#14) and Memphis (#5). But still, 2-2 is pretty good for this team. If Diallo and Bey can continue to show the improvements they both made when everybody else was in the Covid protocols (and they were the only real players on the floor,) that combined with Cunningham, Hayes, and Stewart could lead to really good things in the future. It would also be nice for the Pistons to get another great pick in this upcoming draft, but you have to balance that with progress for their young roster this year. Losing every game isn’t great for morale, obviously, so you want to win enough. But not too much. I’m getting good at this rebuilding bullshit. Thanks, Detroit sports!
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