6 Teams that are worse than the Dallas Mavericks despite their records

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

Saying that the Dallas Mavericks are better than the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference in the Oklahoma City Thunder may seem unpractical, but there is no way the young Thunder team wants to see the Mavs in a seven-game series next month.

Dallas is 1-2 against the Thunder this season, with their most recent loss being on the road in a game that Luka Doncic didn't play in. The Mavs held their own for the entirety of this game, but Kyrie Irving couldn't get it done by himself and Dallas lost 126-119.

In the previous game against the Thunder, Dallas won by over 30 points at home in P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford's debuts. This Thunder team does not have the same type of playoff experience as the Mavs have, and Dallas has two of the top three players between these two teams in Doncic and Irving.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the best players in the league, and could pose problems for the Mavs' defense, but can the rest of their roster step up when the lights are bright?

The Thunder seem like they are at least a year away from being true NBA Finals contenders, and the Mavs may just have what it takes to beat them in a seven-game series considering how much Doncic's game elevates once the playoffs begin.