Back-to-back wins against the defending NBA champions should say something about the Dallas Mavericks.

But back-to-back wins against the defending NBA champions can't say too much when LeBron James isn't playing, and Anthony Davis is clearly not up to speed.

If somehow you missed the past week of Mavericks basketball, Luka Doncic and company took down the hobbled Lakers 115-110 on Thursday, and 108-93 on Saturday. Both wins showed two different extremes of Mavericks basketball. Thursday's affair was one in which Dallas benefited from six players scoring in double-figures. Saturday's game was a comeback effort hinged on elite defense and quality production from role players.

Don't jump the gun on Dallas:

Each win displayed the dexterity in this Dallas team. However, each win doesn't guarantee that the Mavericks are going to upset a higher seed in round one of the NBA playoffs. Consistency is still the question going forward.

Already this season, Dallas fans have seen tremendous highs and devastating lows. Between Feb. 8 and April 10, Dallas won 20 of 28 games. And immediately following that stretch, the Mavericks lost five games out of seven. Extreme peaks and low valleys aren't often seen from playoff contenders. More often than not, they are seen in playoff pretenders.

The 2017-18 Thunder are a prime example of playoff pretenders. That team had two stars in Paul George and Russell Westbrook. They also started the season slow (8-12 through Nov. 29, 2017). And from that point, they proceeded to rattle off wins in the regular season, beating quality teams in clutch situations. Yet, in the playoffs things quickly curtailed, and the Thunder were bounced in the first round.

Dallas fits that same mold. The Mavericks have two stars in Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. The team started the season extremely slow and then proceeded to rattle off quality wins for a lengthy stretch. Much like the Thunder, Dallas beat contenders. However, they also dropped games to teams well outside of the playoff hunt. Dallas isn't exactly what the 2017-18 Thunder were, but their seasons carry similarities across the board. In star power, Doncic and Porzingis have the ability to keep Dallas in games. Similar to Westbrook and George when they played together. But much like the latter two, the lack of consistency in other facets of the game promises doom for Dallas once the playoff start.

Why does it matter?

So, when it comes to beating the Los Angeles Lakers, it's ok to celebrate, but don't get ahead of yourself. Yes, the Mavericks played great defense. And yes Doncic and the role players handled the pressure well. But the Lakers aren't nearly at full strength.

Owning the regular-season series mattered more to Dallas than it did to Los Angeles. So two quality wins against the Lakers – without James- tells fans that Dallas can beat the teams they are supposed to. It doesn't say that they are going to upset true title contenders in the playoffs.

Don't rush to coronate the Dallas Mavericks as playoff upsetters. As a team, they aren't quite there yet. And if history tells us anything, it's that they might not reach that point all season.

Four observations from Dallas' win over Los Angeles on Saturday night. 

The Previous Dallas Mavericks Journal. 

Feature image via Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports.