The West is so tough that they might not have moved up the ranks all that much. The West has tiers:
Favorites:
Spurs
Thunder
Contenders:
Clippers
Warriors
Playing Musical Chairs for the last four spots:
Mavs
Rockets
Grizzlies
Pelicans
Suns
Blazers
Lottery teams:
Lakers
Kings
Wolves
Nuggets
Jazz
The Mavs could finish anywhere from 4-10. I think the combo of Carlisle, Dirk and the guys that they brought in is good enough for a top six seed. Maybe they can get HCA for the first round. I agree that Conference Finals is their ceiling.