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Winless over their last three games, a road-weary Dallas Mavericks team dropped all the way down to No. 22 overall in Seth Rosethanal's weekly SB Nation NBA power rankings.
The Mavericks were slotted in the middle of the pack at No. 15 last week, but have not been able to maintain any semblance of consistency over the last month after starting off the year with a 6-5 record. Along with being just two spots away from a Toronto squad that has already lost 19 games this season, the Mavericks also sit exactly three slots behind a Lakers team that currently has just 11 wins and 14 losses.
After checking in at No. 2 last week, the Oklahoma City Thunder claimed the No. 1 overall spot by earning a pair of wins over New Orleans and Sacramento. The Thunder edged out both New York (No. 2) and San Antonio (No. 3) for the top spot due to sporting the NBA's best record, while the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat each rounded out the top five and remain well within striking distance.
Set to face a brutal upcoming slate before the year is out that includes the majority of the league's best squads, the Mavericks will need to pick things up considerably to remain viable in the Western Conference playoff hunt. Injuries have clearly played a role in their slide as of late, but this team's current losing streak is not a promising sign going forward.