Nba preview, Southwest Division – Dallas in search of the title

Dallas gives the title, for the rest only the Grizzlies in the running for the conference finals. This is the picture of the Southwest Division Nba: here are the hierarchies, themes and perspectives of each franchise.

Why believe in the Mavericks Last year, Dallas only fell in the conference final against the Golden State Warriors (4-1) but proved to have what it takes, for characteristics and pure talent, to be able to raise the bar. Luka Dončić has been a potential MVP candidate for a couple of years now, the roster is qualitative and profound (the addition of Christian Wood among the big players is very important) and the enthusiasm that is perceived around the Mavs seems to be the right one to go back to wearing the role of a credible contender as in the days of the great Dirk Nowitzki.

Why not trust the Mavericks The defensive continuity, the excessive concentration of the game on Dončić and the consequent impasse of the attack are the evils of the season that so far have often held back the ambitions of the Mavericks. This year they must necessarily take substantial steps forward to arrive more mature and aware for the appointment with the postseason. The situation would be different if these cyclical problems became chronic.

Quintet Luka Dončić, Tim Hardaway Jr., Reggie Bullock, Dorian Finney-Smith, JaVale McGee.

Main reserves Christian Wood, Spencer Dinwiddie, Maxi Kleber, Davis Bertans, Dwight Powell, Frank Ntilikina, Jaden Hardy, Josh Green, Theo Pinson, Tyler Dorsey.

Objective Conference finals.

Why believe in the Grizzlies Strong team, structured, very well trained and constantly improving. Memphis has found its clear identity thanks to coach Taylor Jenkins and the construction of a solid basketball idea, which emanates its noble principles from the hands of the champion Ja Morant, a young leader with a marked self-confidence, and finds perfect extension in the excellent supporting cast. Ambitions grow, so do the pressures, but the Grizzlies can no longer hold back and they won’t.

Why not trust the Grizzlies In the west, for intentions and potential, there are many teams aiming for the same goals. Memphis probably does not have the most dominant overall talent and will necessarily have to remain whole and true to itself throughout the regular season if it is to improve its performance last year, when it stopped in the conference semifinals against the Warriors (4-2). The goal, undoubtedly, is very difficult.

Quintet Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., Steven Adams.

Main reserves Brandon Clarke, Ziaire Williams, Tyus Jones, Danny Green, Xavier Tillman, Santi Aldama, Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, John Konchar.

Why believe in the Pelicans The appearance of Nola in the last playoffs (passing through the play-in), very convincing in the first round series against the Phoenix Suns (lost 4-2), and the return of Zion Williamson have brought a lot of enthusiasm to the Big Easy. Coach Willie Green has shown that he is a coach who knows what he does, despite being very young (41 years old), and has been more than good at creating an identity and a style of play, attack and defense, which blends well with the characteristics of its players. If Zion maintains an optimal psychophysical condition, New Orleans can say about him in a direct qualification key to the playoffs.

Why not trust the Pelicans The presence of a player like CJ McCollum in the backcourt should guarantee a certain quality in the Pelicans’ basket proposal but the pitfalls, especially at the physical level of the starting five, are around the corner. New Orleans as a franchise has not yet developed a solid culture and has hardly ever played with the pressure of expectations on its own results. The “weight” to be crushed, in short, is not lacking.

Quintet CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Jonas Valančiūnas.

Main reserves Jose Alvarado, Devonte ‘Graham, Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, Jaxson Hayes, Trey Murphy, Garrett Temple, Willy Hernangomez, Naji Marshall, Kira Lewis Jr ..

Objective Grow and aim for the play-in.

Why believe in the Rockets It is undeniable, Houston has an amount of individual talent at his disposal, especially in the likely starting quintet, fresh, qualitative and explosive. The working basis for coach Stephen Silas is one that certainly cannot leave indifferent but which clearly needs to become something more, in terms of collective and cohesion, to be able to transform into a reality capable of speaking about him in the regular season. . Porter Jr., Green, Smith and Şengün are strong strong, each with their own characteristics, and are worth every single drop of hope for the future.

Why not trust the Rockets The Texans come from extremely complicated seasons, without concrete ambitions and, above all, without a shred of identity, the real and tangible one of course. The competitive turning point is just around the corner, as could the continuity, in a negative key, of this process. The reasons for strongly believing in one way or the other are all legitimate.

Quintet Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, Jae’Sean Tate, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Şengün.

Main reserves Eric Gordon, Garrison Mathews, Kenyon Martin Jr., Boban Marjanovic, Bruno Fernando, Tari Eason, Josh Christopher, TyTy Washington, Daishen Nix, Usman Garuba.

Why believe in Spurs This year the nero argento fans will have to make a real leap of faith, in the Spurs culture and in the technical project. There are no apparent playoff ambitions. The stated goal is to rebuild and lay the foundations for the future, and the players present on the roster attest to this, so to observe Keldon Johnson and his companions with awareness in this regular season it will be necessary to put things in the right perspective. Contextualize the events. The basketball material, especially the one coming out of the last Draft, seems to be there.

Why not trust the Spurs A young team, in full rebuilding, needs time. He must be able to make mistakes, mature and, probably, lose many games. It is not certain that it will happen in these terms but it is the hypothesis, at present, more likely for the boys trained by the venerable Gregg Popovich, this year more than ever as a mentor.

Quintet Tre Jones, Devin Vassell, Josh Richardson, Keldon Johnson, Jakob Pöeltl.

Main reserves Doug McDermott, Joshua Primo, Keita Bates-Diop, Gorgui Dieng, Isaiah Roby, Romeo Langford, Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, Zach Collins.