Mavericks closing in on consensus top 10 in power rankings

The Dallas Mavericks won two of their three games last week. They handled the Pelicans and Spurs but were blown out by resurgent Bulls in Chicago in what continues a season-long trend for Luka Doncic and company.

The Mavs are 8-4 on the season, but they have a negative net rating. They have taken care of business against projected lottery teams, and have been dominated in their four losses versus teams expecting to make the playoffs.

Dallas has a difficult slate ahead with seven straight games against teams currently in the playoff mix. Where do they stand entering that stretch? Here is a look at three different power rankings to attempt to gain a consensus on where the Mavericks should be after 12 games.

Dallas Mavericks closing in on consensus top 10 team in power rankings

ESPN had the Mavs the highest in their power rankings at ninth. NBA.com put Dallas at tenth with The Athletic placing (subscription required) them 14th this week.

The Mavericks are a bit difficult to peg after 12 games. They have the seventh-best winning percentage in the NBA, but Dallas is 19th in point differential. Their four blowout losses play a key factor, and it will be interesting to see how they play over this difficult stretch. If the Mavs can go 4-3 over the next seven games, they should be a consensus top ten team in the power rankings.

Luka Doncic has not played his best basketball so far. He had a massive performance in the Mavericks last game as the team dominated the Spurs in San Antonio. Could that be the start of an impressive run by the 22-year-old? Expect his play to improve as the season progresses.

Fans should stay tuned as the Dallas Mavericks face a difficult stretch to close the month of November. They will learn a ton about the team over the next two weeks, so do not miss a second of the action.