Mavs garnering much respect on a national level

OKLAHOMA CITY — Before this season started, the Dallas Mavericks weren’t mentioned by the national media as a possible playoff contender in the rugged Western Conference.

Now, that Mavs bandwagon is so full that all four tires are flat, the engine is about to explode, and the oil and filter needs changing. That’s how high EVERYONE is on the Mavs these days.

“I was high on Luka (Doncic) when the season started when he started putting up those numbers,” said Kendrick Perkins, an NBA analyst on ESPN’s TV show The Jump. “I wasn’t necessarily high on their team, but now I’m like, ‘This team is good, they are really good.’

“You look at the kid, (Jalen) Brunson, who comes off the bench, Seth…