The Mavericks have only lost one game since the trade for Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood went down, and are currently on a 13 game winning streak after that single loss to the Thunder. As expected, Haywood’s presence in the paint has helped their defense greatly, and Caron Butler has been quite consistent with a smaller role. Barring any serious injuries (which could happen to this ballclub), they’re in serious contention for the top spot in the West, thanks to the Lakers’ struggles against mediocre teams (like their 1 point victory over the Raptors).

Let’s see where this winstreak will take them.