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

After last night's victory over the Utah Jazz, the Dallas Mavericks are 41-29 on the year.

Dallas has been able to string together three wins in a row, and if they keep this up, they look like they can hang with any team in the league.

The Mavs used to be known as a 3-point shooting team, and with the dominance of their big men, they have turned into a strong team down low. They have been out-rebounding and bullying their opponents in the paint, and look like a team who can make some noise in the playoffs.

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

When you have Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on your team, anything can happen. They are one of the best duos in the NBA and elevate this team to new heights when they're fully healthy.

Here are five teams that are worse than the Dallas Mavericks despite having better records than them.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers

Despite beating the Dallas Mavericks in their last game after a wild buzzer-beater by Max Strus, they are clearly better than the Cleveland Cavaliers right now and moving forward.

The Cavs are currently 43-25 on the year, but they are banged up at the worst possible time. Right now, Dean Wade, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, and Evan Mobley are all battling injuries, and without Strus, Mobley, and Mitchell, the Mavs are levels better than Cleveland.

With these players being out, they are not able to build the same type of continuity that the Mavs are building right now. Dallas is without Josh Green as he sprained his ankle, but having Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving healthy is a big difference from last year.

Even if Mobley was healthy, the Mavs would match up well with them because both of their bigs would be able to play big minutes. The Mavs wouldn't be forced to play small ball against the Cavs and it would be a battle down low.

The Mavs won't play the Cavs again, but if they did, the Mavs would put up a better fight than they did the last time they played.

5. Sacramento Kings

The most important games remaining on the Dallas Mavericks' schedule are their consecutive games against the Sacramento Kings next week. Dallas plays them on Tuesday and Friday of next week on the road, and these games will decide who has the tiebreaker for the playoffs. The Mavs dropped their first two games against the Kings, and it's crucial that they find a way to win these games.

The Kings are 40-29 on the year, which is slightly better than the Mavs, and they better hope they don't see Dallas in the playoffs. The Kings don't have a true rim protector on their roster, meaning that the Mavs should be able to feast in the paint against them. No one averages above 0.7 blocks per game on the roster, and the Mavs have been at their best lately when their bigs get going early.

The Kings also likely just lost Kevin Huerter for the year, and P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II, Maxi Kleber, and Daniel Gafford would collectively guard Domantas Sabonis, and they are more than capable of doing that.

Washington did a great job of guarding Victor Wembanyama earlier this week, and if they can keep Sabonis in check, they have a great chance of taking down the Kings in at least one of their matchups next week.

The Mavs now technically have a better record than the Kings after their loss last night to the Washington Wizards, but Sacramento had been ahead of Dallas for an extended period of time.

4. Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic are having a major bounce-back season this year as they are currently 41-28 and the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. This is a great spot to be, especially since they are a young team, but they are clearly not a better team than the Dallas Mavericks no matter what the records say.

Dallas won both of their matchups against Orlando this season, and the Magic would be out of luck if they happened to be in the Western Conference and played the Mavs in a playoff series. Despite having a great duo on the wing in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, but they are a few years away from being contenders.

Dallas' superstar guard duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving would give the Magic fits, and their playoff experience as a team is minimal. Doncic is one of the best playoff performers in the league, and as much as winning in the regular season matters, the playoffs matter more.

The Magic are hot as of late, as they've only lost twice this month, but the Mavs would just be too much to handle. Dallas is on a winning streak of their own, and I don't think it's a question if the Mavs are a better team than Orlando. They're a fun, young team with tons of potential, but they haven't surpassed Dallas just yet.

3. New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans have been phenomenal in the Western Conference this season as they are 42-27 and the fifth seed, but they don't seem like a team with a high ceiling once the playoffs roll around.

The Pelicans have a nice duo down low in Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas, but I think the Mavs match up fairly well with New Orleans down low. They would have Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively II guarding Valanciunas while P.J. Washington and Maxi Kleber try to contain Williamson.

Zion is one of the most dominant players in the league when he is at his best, but focusing on shutting him down would be key. Washington has been elite defensively for the Mavs, and he could use all of his energy to slow down Williamson. Gafford and Lively II are more than capable of guarding Valanciunas, but they would have to make sure to keep him off the offensive glass.

Brandon Ingram also went down with an injury last night, and that would give the Mavs a much lighter load on defense. Ingram has been their second-best scorer this season and could be an issue if the Mavs play them considering Washington would probably be on Williamson.

CJ McCollum also continues to be excellent for New Orleans, but the Mavs have the best two players of the two teams in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

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.

1. LA Clippers

The Dallas Mavericks' biggest nemesis during the playoffs during the Luka Doncic era has been the LA Clippers, and even though they are 42-25 on the year, they haven't particularly been playing well as of late.

The Clippers are 5-5 in their last 10 games, and they have lost four of their last six games. These losses came to the Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Milwaukee Bucks, and a playoff matchup between these two teams would be an exciting rematch that everyone would love to see.

The Mavs are a completely different team from the squad that played the Clippers in 2020 and 2021, and Dallas' new and improved defense may be enough to slow down Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers are another team that the Mavs could play their game against, since all of their centers are traditional bigs, and Dallas plays these teams well.

The Mavs are 1-2 against the Clippers on the year, but all three of their matchups came early in the year. Dallas was without Kyrie Irving in their most recent matchup, and Doncic would surely be out for revenge if they face off against the Clippers again. Luka brings his best when playing against LA, and this would be his chance to finally get revenge.

Doncic loves exposing Ivica Zubac in open space when he gets that switch out of the pick and roll, and I don't think Clippers fans would want to see Dallas in the first round of the playoffs.

For all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks as the playoffs quickly approach, stay tuned.