NBA power rankings 2012: Mavericks No. 15 in SB Nation's latest edition

Life without Dirk Nowitzki isn't so peachy after all.

The Dallas Mavericks are off to a mediocre 6-5 start to the 2012-13 season, and after going 2-2 last week, the Mavericks find themselves in the middle of the pack in SB Nation's latest NBA power rankings.

Seth Rosenthal ranked the Mavericks No. 15 in his latest power rankings, dropping Dallas down one spot from where they were last week. As always, Rosenthal explained his rationale.

The bounce-back win over the Cavericks was nice, but the Mavaliers are sliding a bit, often because they lose steam in second halves. No shame in hovering around .500 while Dirk Nowitzki's out, though, as long as they can keep doing that. Meanwhile, the Bernard James experience has been delightful so far.

The Mavericks lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers last week, but picked up wins against the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Mavericks will have a chance to make their case to move up in the rankings, as Dallas plays host to the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers this week. New York and Los Angeles were both ranked in the top 10 by Rosenthal, so the Mavericks will have an opportunity to notch at least one statement win this week.