Until someone actually does take the Lakers down, they're still the team to beat, especially in the West…where a three-game losing streak is nothing to trip on. But, the Dallas Mavericks winning 12 in-a-row might be.

Isn't this the same team that Mavericks' own Mark Cuban said "sucks" not long ago? Yes, but that was before they worked a brilliant trade at the deadline; and now he has a new team with a completely new attitude. And yes, Mark Cuban told me recently, "they are much better".

They're much tougher and play much harder since adding Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson and Brendan Haywood. And Cuban says in Butler, they have a guy who can take some pressure off of Dirk Nowitzki late in games. If they're not the best team in the league, they're certainly the hottest. They haven't lost in three weeks and they're doing it without Jason Terry and Erick Dampier. They're loaded. And they have weapons all over the floor. And I know, that's usually the case, but this year, they're bringing the nasty, something they usually don't do.

And unlike Denver, who's nasty but has chemistry and attitude issues, these guys play together. And Cuban says if their 'bigs' are healthy, they may have a little something for the Lakers. They got a heart transplant at the deadline…and it took. Don't sleep on the Mavs! Caron Butler has to be doing shots of the tough juice because the Mavs are showing up in a totally different way now.