Dallas Mavericks: 5 Reasons They're The West's Weak Link

5 Reasons The Dallas Mavericks Are The West’s Weak Link

Mar 22, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; (From left) Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons , guard Rajon Rondo , forward Dirk Nowitzki and center Tyson Chandler against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 98-92. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

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Apr 2, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Monta Ellis (11) walks off the court during the first half against the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. The Rockets defeated the Mavericks 108-101. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Record Against Winning Teams

The Mavs have a very good record of 46-30. But their record looks a lot better than it probably is by virtue of 28 wins in 35 games against teams with losing records. Their paltry 18-23 record against teams above .500 doesn’t inspire much hope for the playoffs, especially since that’s the worst such record against above-.500 teams in entire the Western Conference (excluding the Thunder).

Considering Dallas’ first round opponent will be WAY above .500, that’s not good news for a team that struggles to win when the competition heats up. In victories, the Mavs win by an average of 12.5 points, per NBA.com. But when they lose, they typically get blown out, as shown by their -11.5 point differential in losses. That means they really struggle to compete with winning teams.

Their 25-21 record against Western Conference teams doesn’t help their case, especially when you throw out their 11-4 record against the poop-tastic Northwest Division. Simply put, the Mavs have not proven themselves capable of beating the kind of teams they’ll need to defeat once the playoffs begin.

Next: No. 3

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