But in ESPN's Basketball Power Index (BPI) the Mavericks rank slightly ahead of the Grizzlies, and there's a good chance they'll prevail should the two teams meet. With perennial all-defensive team stars Tony Allen and Marc Gasol, the Grizzlies have the third-ranked defense in the league...
Also a season ago, the two best teams in the East (Celtics and Cavaliers) ranked fourth and sixth in BPI, while this season the two best teams (Celtics and Raptors) rank second and fourth. On top of that, the Raptors this year (a 4.3 BPI rating) are almost as good ...