Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images The Mavericks have elite players and elite chemistry, a combination that is hard to beat The Mavericks were 4-0 in the last week with wins at home against the Warriors and Rockets and on the road in Charlotte and Miami. The Mavericks are 50-30 and in fifth place in the West. Josh Green made his return Wednesday against the Heat, while Dereck Lively will be out for the final two games of the regular season. Grade: A+ The Mavericks have been spectacular. Not only have they been one of the best teams in the Western Conference over the last 18 games, they have been one of the best teams in the entire league. Since March 6th, Dallas has had the most wins, is first in defensive rating (106.0), tied for fourth in offensive rating (118.2), and is second in net rating (12.1). They have held opponents to under 106 points on average and just 43.9 percent shooting. Their defense has been elite, and they have used their offense to compliment is exquisitely. Dallas sits alone on their island in fifth place. As fate will have it, they will complete their trilogy against the Clippers this postseason. This time around, the Mavericks are much more formidable and will have their best opportunity to finally defeat them. If they do, there are only two other teams in the Western Conference that Dallas would have a bad matchup against: the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves, given Karl-Anthony Towns is healthy. Unfortunately, those are the two most likely opponents the Mavericks would have to face on their way to the NBA Finals. The caveat is that they have beaten both of those teams this year, which means an improbable Finals run has some life. The star power of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving alone can win you playoff games. When the team around them is playing like they have, you can win a playoff series. There is not a team hotter than Dallas right now, and with the ability to have the best player in any series they find themselves in, there isn’t a team in the league that wants to see them. Straight A’s: The starting five Of all the five-man lineups that have played at least 100 minutes since March 6th, the Mavericks’ starting lineup of Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Jones Jr., P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford ranks second in defensive rating and third in net rating. They have outscored opponents by 59 points with that lineup on the floor and Dallas is 15-1 starting them in that time frame. They have figured out what works and what doesn’t in perfect timing, and when the rotations get cut shorter in the playoffs, the increased minutes that this lineup plays will be the crux for their success. Extra Credit: Derrick Jones Jr. Outside of the trade deadline, the key to the Mavericks’ success this year has been Derrick Jones Jr. He was the second-to-last offseason signing and is playing for just over two million dollars this year. His 8.7 points per game and 34.3 percent shooting from three are both career highs, and his 53 steals this year are behind only Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for the team lead. Jones Jr. deserves a ton of credit for staying the course when he has been in and out of the lineup and playing well throughout it all. He has exceeded expectations (if there were any) and then some, and is the connecting cog that allows the wheel of the starting lineup to spin smoothly. Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2024/4/11 ... n-the-west