In just a couple of more days, the moment we’ve been waiting all summer long for will be here. In the most George Costanza voice, I can make, the NBA season is back baby! We’ve been looking at each team in each division and highlighting the biggest question they have facing the upcoming season. We wrap things up with the Southwest Division.
Dallas Mavericks – Is Porzingis going to be healthy?
In the middle of last season, the Mavericks pulled off a trade to acquire Kristaps Porzingis. In February 2018, Porzingis tore the left ACL that left him missing the entire 2018-2019 season. When healthy, he is an incredible talent. The reason Kevin Durant nicknamed him the unicorn is because of his ability to do things on the court that other players of his size just aren’t capable of doing.
However, he didn’t necessarily come at a cheap price for the Mavericks. They gave up promising young point guard, Dennis Smith Jr., two future first-round picks and had to take on a large salary in the process. Smith Jr. and Luka Doncic didn’t really fit so well together on the court. Also, the Mavericks don’t necessarily have the best drafting history. So maybe they didn’t give up as much as it looks like on paper, however, if Porzingis isn’t healthy this season it could delay the Mavericks intake the next step forward that they believe will happen.
The Southwest Division is going to be difficult to win. The Mavericks are going to need Porzingis to be the all-star caliber player he was with the New York Knicks a few seasons ago. That’s going to mean he will need to play a majority of the games this season, and at a high level.
Preseason basketball is not a good indicator of a player’s ability, however, Porzingis has shown he may be back to the level he once was. If the Mavericks want to use this season as a cornerstone season for years to come, they will need Porzingis to be fully recovered and ready to play.
Houston Rockets – What will the backcourt look like?
Russell Westbrook and James Harden are some of the most polarizing players in the NBA. Is Westbrook a stat-padder? Is Harden a flopper? Both have been in feuds with other star players on their team, so how will they co-exist with one another?
Both players operate best when the ball in their hands and when the offense flows through them. However, Harden showed he could work well with Chris Paul in the past few seasons. Westbrook has shared the load with other superstars as well.
This will be somewhat of a redemption season for both Westbrook and Harden. They have achieved quite a bit of personal success in this league. Combined, they have two MVP awards, three-assist champ awards, four scoring champ awards, 14 all NBA awards, and 15 all-star nominations. What they don’t have is a championship to their name. Things could change this season.
However, they project to win the Southwest Division. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. The playoffs also haven’t been necessarily kind to either player either. With them now joining forces, can this backcourt experiment be the one that propels the Rockets to glory?
Memphis Grizzlies – How far can their young duo go?
The Grizzlies are sitting in a nice spot. They know they are not going to be a playoff team this year. They know they will probably finish the season at the bottom of the Southwest Division. While that might not sound ideal, this season is going to be perfect soil for the seeds of the Grizzlies’ future to grow and develop.
There is no pressure on the team to be successful. The real test will be putting Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Brandon Clarke in positions to succeed. This team is very young, only two players on the entire team were even born in the 1980s. One of those guys is Andre Iguodala, who will most likely be traded during the season.
Not competing for a division title is hard for a team and it’s fanbase. However, the Grizzlies shouldn’t be in win-now mode. Developing young players who you have invested quite a bit in will be their first priority. In a few seasons from now, we could be talking about how to dominate this division will be in the NBA with all of the young talent scattered across each team.
New Orleans Pelicans – Can the Laker castoffs find their identity?
What King James wants, King James gets. Unfortunately for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart, they weren’t wanted. At least, they weren’t wanted as much as Anthony Davis was.
Last season was a nightmare for the Laker castoffs. You’d have to assume they were excited about the face of the NBA joining their team. That excitement quickly walked out the door when it was apparent how badly James wanted Davis over anything else. With their confidence shaken and the weight of doubt that rested on their shoulders all season, life was tough.
Then, the basketball gods showered them with blessings. They were shipped off to New Orleans for Davis. New Orleans also won the lottery odds and drafted Zion Williamson. While they may not be instant title-contenders like the Lakers currently are, they are set up for future success on a team that will ask them to prove themselves.
This will be a big season for those three. They don’t have to be the leader of this team, that will fall on Jrue Holiday and Zion Williamson. What they will need to be are guys who fill out the starting rotation and show everyone that they can be a part of a winning culture.
San Antonio Spurs – Is the backcourt ready?
Much like the New England Patriots of the NFL, never count out the Spurs. Just when it looks like their window has closed, they find a way to become relevant again. Many folks think the Spurs will miss the playoffs this season. Even though they’ve made the playoffs the last 22 seasons in a row. Sure, they haven’t won a championship in six seasons, and they’ve been eliminated in the first round the past two seasons, but this backcourt could be the trick hiding up their sleeve.
The Spurs selected Murray and White 29th overall in back-to-back drafts in 2016 and 2017. Last October, Dejounte Murray torn his ACL in a preseason game and missed the entire year. Although it was an unfortunate blow to the team, it did open the door for Derrick White to be a featured player. This also led to White joining Team USA in the FIBA World Cup.
When both are available and healthy, Murray and White should be one of the leagues’ best backcourts defensively. Combine that with the leadership from LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan and the Spurs can find themselves in the middle of playoff contention. This squad isn’t going to be a push-over team in the Southwest Division, they’ll be ready to compete.
We haven’t even talked about Lonnie Walker, taken 19th overall in last year’s draft. Walker played sparingly last season after recovering from a torn meniscus, but he has shown flashes of being capable of making the leap to the NBA. If all three of these guys continue to develop and make strides, then the Spurs will continue to prove to the NBA that they are still relevant.
