If the Mavericks aren't careful, people around the NBA are going to be forced to start taking them seriously.
Actually, they should already be doing so as Dirk Nowitzki and Co. are rolling along with the third-best record in the Western Conference after a dozen games, including Wednesday's 106-102 gut-check at Boston.
A five-game winning streak, with the last three coming on the road, gives the Mavericks a certain amount of validation as they come home just long enough to rinse out their socks and have one game against Utah before hitting the road again.
Two things stick out about the Mavericks so far.
First, they know how to win ugly. They've had a certain ruggedness about them that makes them a threat to win any game.
For instance, they shot 5-of-18 (27.8-percent) in the first quarter against the Celtics. They fell behind by 18 points. A 2-1 road trip would have been perfectly acceptable and the Mavericks would have had no shame losing to a hot Boston team.
But over the last three quarters, they shot 32-of-54 from the field. That's 59.3-percent. That perseverance is what got them the victory. They didn't let a sticky Boston defense take them out of their game.
Second, Dirk Nowitzki and Zaza Pachulia are doing a wonderful job of fitting together and stabilizing the Mavericks interior game.
Yes, we know. Nowitzki floats around the perimeter. But he's pulling down seven rebounds per game, which would be an upgrade over last season. And Pachulia has had a double-double in half of the 12 games and is averaging 10 boards.
Those are winning numbers. And the fact that Nowitzki is tossing in 18.5 points per game is probably better than most people expected.
The shooting from 3-point range hasn't been there for the guards yet. But the Mavericks are surviving without it because there are a lot of other things to like about this team right now.