OKC Thunder: National and TI editor power rankings week 8 – hot takes in top tier

Nerlens Noel, OKC Thunder Power Rankings W8 (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
Nerlens Noel, OKC Thunder Power Rankings W8 (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
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OKC Thunder
Luka Doncic , game preview vs. OKC Thunder (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)

Another hot take comes with my selection of the Mavericks ranking ninth. Perhaps I’m giving them love now while I can on the week Dirk Nowitzki is expected to return to the court and my abject adoration of the rookie Luka Doncic.

As always Rick Carlisle is among the league’s best coaching minds and after an amoebic 3-8 start who thought this squad would do a 10-3 turnaround?

Dallas Mavericks:

Offensive Rating: 14th
Defensive Rating: 13th
Net Differential: 15th

Points per game: 110.5 (13th)
Offensive field goal efficiency: 46.0 percent (tied 12th)
Opponent points per game: 109.3 (10th)
Opponent field goal efficiency: 46.6 percent (20th)

Record: 8th in WC
Home: 11-2
Road: 2-9
Back to back sets: 3

Versus the West: 8-8
Versus the East: 5-3
Week eight 2-1:  Wins Blazers, Rockets lost @ Pelicans
On tap for week 9: vs. Magic, Hawks, @Suns, Kings