By Max Berger
This team never seems do go away, do they? Yes, the San
Antonio Spurs will win the Southwest Division again, for the third straight
year. The trio of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker, one of the most
successful squads of the last decade, still form one of the most dangerous
teams this season.
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| AP Photo/Eric Gay |
With other key players such as young small forward Kawhi
Leonard and power forward DeJuan Blair, the Spurs should have one of the
league’s best records. However, San Antonio does not have enough youth and
athleticism to compete with the Western Conference’s top two teams: the Los
Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In the tier below the Spurs in the Southwest Division lie
the Dallas Mavericks and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Dallas comes off of a disappointing year. They failed to
defend their title after being swept by the Thunder in the first round of the
playoffs. The loss of veteran point guard Jason Kidd will hurt, but the additions
of O.J. Mayo, Darren Collison and Chris Kaman leave the Mavs with one of the
deepest, most experienced teams in the league. The Mavericks should finish
second in the division and make the postseason.
Although it seems as though Dallas will not be able to
contend for a title this year, it is hard to rule them out with future
Hall-of-Famer Dirk Nowitzki, who, according to ESPN’s Chris Palmer is “still
the best shooting power forward of all time,” running the show in his fourteenth
NBA season.
Similar to the Mavericks, the Memphis Grizzlies exited the
playoffs early last season, falling to the Clippers in a competitive seven-game
series. The Grizzlies boast one of the biggest, most talented front lines in
the game with power forward Zach Randolph and center Marc Gasol. These two
present a formidable challenge for teams trying to score in the paint.
The problems with the Mavericks, however, lie on the
perimeter. Small forward Rudy Gay can score, but this team lacks perimeter
defenders and three-point shooters. As the Western Conference continues to
improve from top to bottom, it would not be a surprise if the Grizzlies missed
the playoffs in 2013.
In what could be one of the surprise teams of the season,
the New Orleans Hornets boast a young, talented and hungry team. The Hornets
have a solid foundation now, after selecting former NCAA Player of the Year, Kentucky’s
Anthony Davis, as the number one pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Additionally, drafting point guard Austin Rivers, resigning
shooting guard Eric Gordon and signing underrated power forward Ryan Anderson
leaves New Orleans with a core to build around after losing All Star point
guard Chris Paul to trade one year ago. New Orleans needs a few years before it
can make the postseason and compete in the West, but the Hornets should
significantly improve this season.
Signing free agent point guard and media sensation Jeremy
Lin was an exciting development for the Houston Rockets, but that’s about where
it starts and ends in terms of the bright spots for this team.
While Lin will be paired with shooting guard Kevin Martin in
the backcourt, and young pieces such as Chandler Parsons, Terrence Jones,
Jeremy Lamb and Patrick Patterson give the Rockets some hope for the future,
this is simply not Houston’s year. Expect the Rockets to struggle this season
and have a high pick in the NBA lottery, where the team will retool and rebuild
before being ready to compete.
Projected 2012-2013 Southwestern Conference Standings:
1. San
Antonio Spurs
2. Dallas
Mavericks
3. Memphis
Grizzlies
4. New
Orleans Hornets
5. Houston
Rockets
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