The final division to cover in this NBA Preview is the Southwest division, which is the most interesting of them all.
#5 - New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans quit last season, and they didn't make any major changes for this year either. Zion Williamson is supposed to be their franchise player, but he may get traded after this season. Brandon Ingram has already been in many trade rumors floating around, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Pelicans dealt him during the year.
Yet, CJ McCollum is still one of the best shooters in the game. He will be a major boost on the offensive end for them. They also have a pair of impressive point guards in former all-star Dejounte Murray and all-defensive star Jose Alvarado. Let's not forget about the amazing talent they have found in Herb Jones over the last few years. Up front though, the Pelicans are a bit lacking. Big man Jonas Valanciunas seems to know when to leave a party and his replacement is Daniel Theis, which isn't much of an upgrade at all.
The future potential is rich, but Ingram and especially Zion have to go. They deserve to be traded after blowing up what could have been a championship team. The most likely result for this team is another trip to Galveston, Texas.
#4 - San Antonio Spurs
The development of Victor Wembanyama as one of the greatest player in the league is under way. This year, he should make his first all-star game and may even put the Spurs in playoff contention. He will be amongst the best big man teacher in the game in Chris Paul. Paul is known for making big guys into major talent. With CP3 running the show, the Spurs will be tough to beat.
On top of that, watch out for lottery selection Stephon Castle. His one year of college saw him display tremendous athleticism and defensive prowess over his opponents. He could easily be an all-rookie selection. Along with role players Devin Vassell, Zach Collins, Keldon Johnson, and the addition of Harrison Barnes, this team will be fun to watch down the road.
Gregg Popovich has a great group of young players that he should be able to take deep into the playoffs in the coming years. The future is bright in San Antonio.
#3 - Houston Rockets
Houston has a mixture of successful veterans and young stars that make this team a dangerous wild card. Former lottery picks Amen Thompson, Jalen Green, and Jabari Smith Jr. are ready to have breakout seasons after a few years in the league. Combine that with the unexpected star power of Alperen Sengun and veteran shooter Fred VanVleet, and you have yourself a good team already. This season, the Rockets add even more talent in lottery pick Reed Sheppard. He will be an all-rookie sharpshooter that will bring this team to knew heights in the future. Add in veterans in Jeff Green, Steven Adams, and the seldom liked Dillon Brooks, and you have a deep team with high potential.
The problem is that this is a projection that might happen. This team could also bust because we haven't seen Thompson or Smith reach their potential yet, and there really isn't any star power outside of Jalen Green or Sengun, the latter of which is a free agent next summer. The veterans will help right now, but the Rockets need their star players to have breakout years in order to win.
#2 - Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant returns to full time and full potential which means that Memphis should have another great season this year, but it gets even better. With the tough season, the Grizzlies got the chance to draft the 2024 NCAA National Player of the Year Zach Edey from Purdue. The 7-4 center can only be compared to Yao Ming in terms of his gameplay, which is great news for Grizzlies fans. The Grizzlies also have a number of their core players returning in sharpshooter Desmond Bane, defensive specialist Jaren Jackson Jr., and big forward Brandon Clarke. They also return the guy who stood in for Morant a lot last year, former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart.
Overall, the Grizzlies look like a championship team, but they're reliability and reputations are the only thing that can get in their way. Ja Morant has to stay on the court and Edey's hype from college might not transfer to the pros. Even Marcus Smart has had controversies in the past, so the Grizzlies need to stay out of their own way if they want to be NBA champions.
#1 - Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are coming off a bitter loss in the NBA Finals and they somehow got even better. Luka Doncic is the reigning scoring champion and may be the greatest play we've seen out of Europe to this point (at least until Wembanyama is fully developed). His right hand man Kyrie Irving returns having lost for a third time out of four in the NBA Finals. However, the Mavs will be joined by a man who handed Kyrie two of those losses. Klay Thompson, a four-time NBA champion and the key to the Warriors dynasty signed with Dallas this offseason. It's a major free agent signing that shifts the playoff picture substantially.
With Irving, Doncic, and Thompson on the perimeter, the Mavericks will be hard to stop. On top of that, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford stepped up big time in the postseason last year and will be back. However, Gafford will be moved to a bench role as former lottery pick Dereck Lively II takes over at center position. Along with the addition of Spencer Dinwiddie and the return of Dante Exum, the Mavericks should be a deeper and more dangerous team than last year. They are built to win.
The Mavericks are my choice to win the NBA Championship in the 2024-2025 season.
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