2022 NBA Southwest Division preview
The NBA season is set to begin Tuesday, and with that, it’s time to look at the teams and top storylines in the Southwest Division for this season.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies come into the season after having a solid postseason run where they lost to the Golden State Warriors, the eventual NBA champions.
Most of their young core remains intact, and most importantly the team still has Ja Morant. Morant had an incredible season last year, finishing with 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game, finishing seventh in MVP voting.
With Jaren Jackson Jr. expected to miss the start of the season with a foot injury, the team may not have the same regular season success that they did last year when it finished as a No. 2 seed.
This team proved it can be a solid playoff team and a tough out, and although the top players are still young, this team is looking to win now.
Dallas Mavericks
After a surprising trip to the Western Conference Finals, the Mavericks are looking to find the same success they did last season.
Luka Dončić is one of the youngest stars with all-time potential, which can elevate this team. On top of that, the team has very solid pieces that fit the team’s system.
Two crucial pieces this season for the Mavericks will be Christian Wood and Tim Hardaway Jr. Wood’s shooting lob threat capability adds a new dynamic piece to this offense, and Hardaway is returning from a foot injury after missing the second half of last season.
Losing Jalen Brunson to the Knicks this offseason is a big loss, but with Dončić handling the ball and utilizing his role players, this team can make another deep playoff push.
New Orleans Pelicans
Despite finishing last season 10 games under .500, the Pelicans have a lot of potential at the beginning of the season.
The Pelicans pushed the Phoenix Suns to Game 7 in last year’s playoffs, which caught many by surprise.
The team’s core consists of Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Jonas Valančiūnas, Herbert Jones and most notably Zion Williamson, who missed all of last season with a foot injury.
If Williamson returns fully healthy, this team can reach a new elite level. He is a top talent in the league, and with this many quality players around him, the Pelicans can be one of the top seeds in the Western Conference.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs seem to be finally adopting a rebuild after trading away Dejounte Murray this offseason to the Atlanta Hawks. Keldon Johnson is arguably the best player on the team, and although he’s a very solid player, it is unlikely that he’ll carry this Spurs team by any means.
The team is still coached by Gregg Popovich, which will make it his twenty-seventh year in a row coaching the Spurs team.
With top prospects Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson in this upcoming draft, the Spurs will likely be inclined to punt on the season and hope for a top pick in the 2023 draft.
Houston Rockets
In the first full season without James Harden, the Rockets successfully tanked to end up with the third overall pick in the draft.
The Rockets have built a strong young core, drafting Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. in the previous two drafts.
They are far from a playoff team, but the Rockets can keep improving their young talent and get a good pick in this upcoming draft.
Christopher Reynolds is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email him at clr5971@psu.edu.
