One team that no one could predict before the season started was the Dallas Mavericks. Sure, no one could really see them in the position of the Houston Rockets, for instance. However, pinpointing the exact spot where the Mavericks will land would be incredibly difficult.

If the duo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis hits, they could be contenders. If it does not, they are fighting for the play-in tournament. Fifty games in, it is still hard to say. The Mavericks are 29-21 and have been surging lately, so that is a very good sign for their fans.

To better explain the situation, here are two reasons behind the Mavericks' rejuvenated campaign.

Reasons behind Mavs surging in team standings 

2. Strength of schedule 

To be perfectly honest, some of the Mavericks' opponents in the last few weeks were not of great quality. Obviously, there were some good teams they managed to beat. For instance, they beat the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, and Memphis Grizzlies twice. However, these are just four wins out of 13 in their last 16 games. The other nine Ws came against the Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder twice, Orlando Magic, and the Toronto Raptors. Of course, that does not make their recent form any less impressive, but it is still relevant to point out.

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Their losses came against some really great teams, so the Mavericks really have nothing to be ashamed of. The Warriors did rout them, 130-92 a couple of days back, as did the New York Knicks on January 12 with a 108-85 win. Their third loss came against the Phoenix Suns, but that was by eight points. The Warriors and Suns are NBA title contenders while the Knicks loss can be explained by a complacency issue due to a three-day break and a horrid game from Doncic, who went 8-of-23 from the field, including 1-of-9 from three-point land.

Still, even with the fact that nine out of their 13 wins came against teams that are not exactly doing too well, the Mavericks should be happy. Winning in the NBA means winning against the lesser opposition and fighting your way to some victories against the best teams. Of course, to win the title, the top squads such as the Warriors, Suns, Grizzlies need to be beaten, but in the regular season, most of the W's will come from teams with negative records. The Mavericks took care of business and that is something they struggled with during the first half of the season.

Some of their losses have come against the likes of the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, and Atlanta Hawks. On paper, four wins do not mean a ton, but when it comes to this season specifically, they could be the difference between a spot in the NBA Playoffs and a spot in the play-in tournament. For example, a four-game skid for the Mavericks right now could mean a fall to the 7th spot, one behind the last postseason slot in the Western Conference. But it is good to see that, apart from the Knicks, Doncic and company are finally winning these types of games.

1. Offense turned up

The Mavericks actually have one of the best-ranked defenses in the league. They are fifth in defensive rating and third in opposition points per game. However, their offense is still among the worst, which is the downfall of having Doncic. He is an amazing talent, ready to finish plays on his own and also facilitate for his teammates. Unfortunately, outside of Porzingis, there is no one to facilitate for. Or at least, it has been the case for most of this season.

The Mavericks are putting up around 106 points per game, which is only 24th in the entire. In their last 13 wins, however, they are putting up around 111 points, which would put them around the fifth spot, just behind the Grizzlies. Interestingly enough, they did it without Porzingis for many of these games, and with Doncic putting up around the same numbers he usually puts up. Jalen Brunson also did not step up much, while Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorian Finney Smith actually put up worse numbers than they have had this season.

Whatever coach Jason Kidd and the Mavericks have done, they should continue, because while Doncic might be signed up for the future, keeping him happy will be priority number one. It is difficult to see him leaving, especially after just signing a deal in the summer. Still, with a full cap for at least two more years, winning with this team will be the only possibility the Mavericks have. Thus, they really need to keep this form up. Losing momentum now would likely mean losing the spot in the NBA Playoffs and for Doncic, taking a step back is definitely not an option.