Marvelous Mavs - Marty Burns SI.com

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Marvelous Mavs

Marty Burns, SI.com

It was a never a question of firepower. Everybody knew the Mavs still had plenty of it, even without Steve Nash, Antawn Jamison and Antoine Walker. The question was whether all those new faces (Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, Erick Dampier) would fit together right away. So far, so good in Big D. Not only have the new guys meshed for coach Don Nelson, but Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels have picked up right where they left off a year ago. With Dirk Nowitzki playing like an MVP candidate, Dallas has roared to a 7-1 start. With such a favorable (read: easy) early schedule, it's still too early to say the Mavs are back among the top Western title contenders. But with their defense looking better than ever, they deserve to be ranked among the top right now.

This week's high riser: Sonics (No. 11 from 22)

This week's big drop: Raptors (No. 22 from 12)

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I'm looking forward to the Mavs getting lots o' love from the press this season...especially those punks who were hating on us in years past. Damn bandwagoners...

[Mavs Rule]

Here is Marty Burns' Power Rankings for this week which wasn't with your article link:

NBA Power Rankings
Rank LW Team
1 2 San Antonio Spurs (5-1)
In typical Tim Duncan fashion, they've quietly jumped out to their best start since 1999-2000. But with seven of their next nine on the road, including two at Dallas, it's about to get tougher.
2 6 Dallas Mavericks (7-1)
Steve Who? Devin Harris and Terry so far have more than picked up the slack for departed point guard Nash, who incidentally makes his emotional return to Dallas on Tuesday.
3 3 Detroit Pistons (3-3)
They missed Ben Wallace (death in family) in losses at Denver and Utah last week. He'll be back, along with coach Larry Brown (hip surgery), for the T'wolves (Wed.) and Pacers (Fri.) this week.
4 4 Indiana Pacers (5-2)
Let's see ... they won at Minnesota without Ron Artest ... then got creamed by the Clippers at Conseco the next night, their worst home loss ever. ... Gee, anything else weird happen to them last week?
5 3 Minnesota Timberwolves (3-2)
They haven't played great, but they're just a few points from being 5-0. With four days off, KG & Co. should be rested and ready for this week's big tests against the Heat (Tues.) and Pistons (Wed.).
6 5 Miami Heat (5-2)
Without Dwyane Wade (sprained left ankle) they lost consecutive games to the Mavs and Spurs, their first two defeats of the season. Meanwhile, they've added Shandon Anderson to shore up their bench.
7 7 Utah Jazz (5-1)
Four straight games this week on the road (Charlotte, Orlando, Miami, Atlanta) will be a nice little test for them. Last year they went 28-13 at home -- but just 14-27 away from the Delta Center.
8 8 Phoenix Suns (4-2)
Joe Johnson has been another key to their surprising start. Through Sunday he was averaging 18.2 points while shooting 51.2 percent from the floor and 53.6 percent (15 of 28) from 3-point land.
9 9 Houston Rockets (3-4)
Tracy McGrady (sore hip) sat out losses to the T'wolves and Lakers last week. With six of their next seven on the road, starting Monday in New Jersey, their sputtering attack needs T-Mac back.
10 10 Sacramento Kings (3-4)
They beat the Nuggets on Sunday to make it two straight victories and kick off a five-game homestand. With a 1-4 road record thus far, they've never been happier to be back at Arco Arena.
11 22 Seattle SuperSonics (6-1)
Sunday's victory over the Grizz made it six straight and the right to take the Express in this week's rankings. But caution: Nate McMillan's guys started 5-1 a year ago too, and the next six are on the road.
12 20 Cleveland Cavaliers (3-3)
Cavs fans are still buzzing over LeBron's 17-point fourth quarter outburst in that comeback OT victory over the Suns. Best of all, he set up Zydrunas Ilgauskas for the game-tying shot in regulation.
13 15 Los Angeles Lakers (4-4)
Kobe Bryant (NBA season-high 41 points in Friday's loss at Orlando) isn't their only star. Lamar Odom (20-13-5) led them to victory Saturday in Rudy T.'s triumphant return to Houston.
14 11 Denver Nuggets (2-5)
With 13 of their first 17 at Pepsi Center, they were hoping to get off to a fast start. Instead Carmelo Anthony struggled, Voshon Lenard got hurt, and now they've found themselves in a hole.
15 17 Philadelphia 76ers (4-3)
They beat the Magic on Sunday to make it three straight wins. Two days earlier, Allen Iverson's 14-footer shot down the Pacers in OT to give him his first buzzer-beater of his nine-year NBA career.
16 21 Boston Celtics (3-2)
Like AI, Paul Pierce used some late-shot heroics to steal a game (vs. the Blazers on Wednesday) and set up a three-game win streak. During that span, the Cs have outrebounded foes by a combined 127-110.
17 13 Portland Trail Blazers (2-3)
They survived the Raptors on Sunday to snap a three-game losing skid, but this team is still a head case. With all those scorers, how could they manage just 60 points against New Jersey?
18 18 Orlando Magic (4-3)
With all the focus on Grant Hill and Steve Francis, rookie Dwight Howard is free to just play. The result: He's averaging 7.9 points, 11.7 rebounds (fourth in the NBA) and 2.0 blocks in just 29.7 minutes per game.
19 19 Milwaukee Bucks (3-2)
They lost an OT heartbreaker in Miami on Sunday to snap a three-game win streak. But coach Terry Porter has been pleased so far with their hustle and effort again this season.
20 16 Memphis Grizzlies (2-5)
They snapped that 12-game losing streak (dating back to last season). But there is still something missing, and James Posey (sprained left foot) won't be around for awhile.
21 24 Los Angeles Clippers (4-3)
They rallied from 24 down to win at Chicago on Saturday, the biggest comeback in franchise history. They're sharing the ball, taking good shots and they play 12 of their next 13 at Staples Center.
22 12 Toronto Raptors (4-3)
OK, maybe it's harsh to drop them this far after two narrow losses. But with coach Sam Mitchell benching Vince Carter, trouble is brewing. And they're going to miss Donyell Marshall (hamstring).
23 14 Washington Wizards (3-4)
They can score with anybody, but their problem is on the defensive end. In their four losses through Sunday, they had yielded an average of 112 points on 52 percent shooting from the floor.
24 23 New York Knicks (2-3)
They're playing musical chairs in the Garden, with Isiah Thomas bringing in his own assistants to work with Lenny Wilkens. But with a Texas road trip ahead, the shuffle could be just getting started.
25 25 New Jersey Nets (2-4)
Jason Kidd (left knee) says he might be back by the middle of next month. Good thing, because they've lost Ron Mercer (knee injury) for a month and Zoran Planinic (sore knee) is hobbling.
26 28 Golden State Warriors (1-6)
They won at Charlotte on Saturday to finally get in the win column, but Adonal Foyle wasn?t thrilled. The veteran center, signed to a whopper contract in the offseason, picked up a DNP-CD.
27 29 Atlanta Hawks (1-5)
Center Peja Drobnjak has been one of their few bright spots so far. Through Saturday he was leading the NBA in shooting percentage (66.7 percent) while averaging 11.2 points off the bench.
28 30 Charlotte Bobcats (1-4)
It's hard to believe they really could be better right now than the Hornets and Bulls. Maybe they'e not. But they have a victory (over the Magic), and they've actually been more competitive thus far.
29 26 New Orleans Hornets (0-6)
New coach Byron Scott is still seeking his first win. But with the Suns and T'wolves up next, followed by a five-game Western road trip, they could be looking at a possible 0-for-November.
30 27 Chicago Bulls (0-4)
From one "Dread" Scott to another ... With his winless team about to head out on their annual West Coast road trip (0-32 over the last five seasons), Scott Skiles can commiserate with his New Orleans counterpart.

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[orangedays]

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There's a cookie inside for ya

[Misfit Mav]

Originally posted by: Mavs Rule
Here is Marty Burns' Power Rankings for this week which wasn't with your article link:

Dwayne Wade played for most of the game against the Mavs.

[Edited for a typo]

[V2M]

Originally posted by: Misfit Mav

Dwayne Wade played for most of the game against the Mavs.

[Edited for a typo]

True. Wade got hurt in the 4th quarter after the Heat practically gave up on the game. We were leading by 20 points or so midway through the 4th quarter when he got hurt.

That's just sad reporting by Marty Burns.