Power Ranking the Mavs: Charlie V making most of opportunities in Week 10

1) Tyson Chandler

Last week: 2 (up 1 spot)

Monta fell back to earth a bit this week, and so Tyson regains his place atop the rankings. He was out against the Thunder with back spasms, and I thought for sure this would mean a loss since Tyson has quietly been the Mavs’ most important player all season. But Rick Carlisle is a wizard, and the Mavs found a way.

2) Dirk Nowitzki

Last week: 4 (up 2 spots)

Dirk appears to have shaken off his slump. He led the Mavs in scoring twice this week, scoring 22 against the Hawks and 30 against the Thunder.

3) Monta Ellis

Last week: 1 (down 2 spots)

Monta has been good but not great this week. He and Rondo are still adjusting to each other, and while Monta’s scoring numbers are down a bit, his assists are trending upward.

4) Rajon Rondo

Last week: 6 (up 2 spots)

The guy is still getting used to this roster and his role, but he has played really well so far. Over the past four games, Rondo is averaging 15.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 6 rebounds per game.

5) Chandler Parsons

Last week: 3 (down 1 spot)

Prior to last night, Parsons was having a rough few games. After the Mavs traded for Rondo, Parsons went back to looking uncertain of his role and tentative on the offense. He matched his season low for points against Atlanta, but hopefully got things turned around against Oklahoma City.

6) Charlie Villanueva

Last week: 11 (up 5 spots)

Charlie V shoots up 5 spots this week, and he has been the Mavs’ best bench player since Brandan Wright left. It’s Charlie V’s world, and we’re all just living in it. I’ve given him a lot of flack this season, but Villanueva has really taken full advantage of his opportunities. We knew he could hit 3s, but he has also showed energy, interest, and grit all over the court. Dude just wants to help his team, and he has been doing so lately.

7) Greg Smith

Last week: 10 (up 3 spots)

Smith has also worked hard to earn some of Wright’s vacated playing time in the big man rotation, albeit somewhat more quietly than Charlie V. Smith isn’t scoring a ton of points, but he is rebounding very well (over 6 a game in the last 3 games). He is a young player who is still fairly raw, but I like what I’ve seen from him.

8) Richard Jefferson

Last week: 9 (up 1 spot)

Jefferson’s defense and rebounding aren’t terrible, which is an improvement. He is also starting to find his 3-point shot, though still not at the 40% rate he shot last season.

9) Devin Harris

Last week: 5 (down 4 spots)

Lost in all the Rondo hoopla and various injury worries, Devin Harris had his worst week of the season. In the last three games, he put up 1, 6, and 3 points. He had no assists against the Lakers and only one against the Suns. The biggest concern is that his newly developed accuracy from range has left him, as he hasn’t hit a 3-pointer since the Atlanta game. Hopefully this slump ends soon, because the Mavs desperately need 3-point shooting, and Charlie V can only do so much.

10) J.J. Barea

Last week: 7 (down 3 spots)

Both backup point guards have really struggled to redefine their roles since the trade. Rondo plays a lot more minutes than Jameer did, and Barea has seen his role diminished. All things considered, he is still playing pretty well, and Carlisle trusted him enough to start him as possibly the smallest small forward ever, when Tyson was out due to back spasms.

11) Al-Farouq Aminu

Last week: 8 (down 3 spots)

Aminu cannot shoot to save his life, and as a result, he has fallen completely out of the rotation. He is a better defender and rebounder than Jefferson and Charlie V, but not so much better than it makes up for his complete ineptitude on the offensive end. I’ve been Farouq’s biggest fan this season, but until he learns how to shoot, his minutes are going to be few and far between.

12) Ricky Ledo

Last week: 12 (no change)

Ricky Ledo played for 12 seconds against the Hawks. But we still love him.

13) Dwight Powell

Last week:13 (no change)

Powell hasn’t done anything with the Mavs yet, but he did have a monster night with the Legends in between stints with the big league team.

14) Raymond Felton

Last week: 14 (no change)

We finally had a Felton sighting, but I have no idea why. He played for about a minute, didn’t really do anything, and I’m pretty sure no one even knew he was active until he was warming up for the game.

Next: 2015 Looks Bright for Mavs

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