2009-2010 NBA Southwest Division Season Preview

Welcome to the best and most complete 2009-2010 NBA Southwest Division Season Preview available online. The teams that make up our 2009-2010 NBA Southwest Season Preview are the are the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Hornets and San Antonio Spurs.

The Southwest division this season is the best division in the Association, hands down. With rivalries and tough competition due the fact that 3 teams (Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston) are located in the Lone Star State. Texas has had four of their teams make the playoffs for the past few years now, with all four teams constantly reaching or coming close to 50 wins each season. The Southwest is home to the NBA’s best players with MVP candidates Nowitzki, Duncan, and Paul. This division as a nice mix of old school and new school, legends like the Big Fundamental (Tim Duncan), Jason Kidd, and Allen Iverson, and future stars like Chris Paul and possibly OJ Mayo.

For the past three seasons, at least two of the top three seeds in the Western Conference have come from the Southwest division. This division is always competitive and the Memphis Grizzlies are the only team that doesn’t has a chance to for a playoff spot. There will not be a dominate team in this division because of talent depth each team posses. But we look for the San Antonia Spurs to win the division and give the Lakers a run for their money in the Western Playoffs.

2009-2010 San Antonio Spurs Season Preview

The Spurs went 54-28 last year to win the Southwest Division for the fourth time in five seasons. But with F Manu Ginobili (16 PPG) sidelined with an ankle injury. San Antonio lost a first-round playoff series for the first time since 2000. The Spurs also went 40-40 vs the point spreads. and even though their games averaged just 190 points (fourth-fewest in the league), the totals only trended toward the unders by a 41-39 margin. The goal this offseason was to infuse some youth and depth into this team while remaining a contender, and they may have pulled it off. San Antonio made a nice pickup when they traded for F Richard Jefferson (20 PPG with Milwaukee), and they got lucky when bruiser F DeJuan Blair fell to them at #37 in the draft And while he’s no spring chicken, the Spurs signed F Antonio McDyess (10 PPG, 10 RPG with Detroit). San Antonio received a scare, though, in July. when G Tony Parker (22 PPG. 7 APG) turned an ankle playing in Europe. He’s expected to be good to go, though, when October rolls around, C Tim Duncan (19 PPG, 11 RPG) is now 33 years old, and needs to have his court-time closely managed. This year the Spurs will be looking for good minutes from youngsters like PG George Hill, PF Ian Mahinmi and maybe even Blair to have this team ready come April. San Antonio has won three of the last seven league championships, and if Parker, Ginobili and Duncan are healthy and clicking, they’re still a threat to win it all.

(San Antonio Spurs +300 to win the NBA championship at BetUS)

San Antonio Spurs 2009-2010 Season Preview – San Antonio Spurs 2009 Season Schedule

2009-2010 Dallas Mavericks Season Preview

The Mavericks went 50-32 last year, and knocked their nemesis the Spurs out in the first round of the playoffs before bowing out in five games vs the Nuggets in the conference semis. And yet they were never considered serious contenders for either the conference or league titles. Nobody figured they’d get by the Lakers or Denver, and they didn’t. Dallas was the second-best free-throw shooting team in the league last year at 82%, but 25th in 3-point shooting at 35%. On the other end of the court, they ranked a respectable 12th in FG defense. They also went a he-hum 40-42 vs the point spreads last year, and even though Mavs games averaged 202 points (10th- most in the league), the totals went 38-44. This off-season Dallas re-signed G Jason Kidd, whose 3.8 A/TO ratio was second-best among all PG’s last year, and traded for F Shawn Marion, who’s had a couple of tough years but may have something left. G’s Jason Terry and Josh Howard combined for 38 PPG last year. And they’ve still got that guy named Nowitzki (26 PPG). But the Mavericks lost PF Brandon Bass, so they may be thin up front. Dallas is one of the oldest teams in the league; Marion, Nowitzki, Terry, C Erick Dampier and Kidd, among others, have all been in the league at least 10 years (Kidd for 15!). So time is running out for this core group of Mavs. And while several other West contenders improved themselves over the off-season, it’s unclear whether Dallas did.

(Dallas Mavericks +1800 to win the NBA championship at BetUS)

Dallas Mavericks 2009-2010 Season Preview – Dallas Mavericks 2009 Season Schedule

2009-2010 New Orleans Hornets Season Preview

The Hornets looked good for much of last season, and were thought by some ‘experts’ to have a chance at running through the Western Conference playoff bracket. But they finished the season on a 2-6 downswing to finish at 49-33, and then folded in five games in the first round vs Denver. Also, as New Orleans got to be one of the betting public’s preferred choices as the season rolled along, they finished 35-45 against the point spreads. No team played more unders than New Orleans’ 46, as Hornets games averaged 190 points – third-fewest in the league. The Hornets only ranked 14th in the league in FG shooting, but seventh in FG defense. There’s no doubt this team has some of the key ingredients needed to be a contender. PG Chris Paul (23 PPG, 11 APG) garnered MVP consideration last year, and deservedly so. F David West (21 PPG, 9 RPG) is one of the best in the league at his slot. And F Peja Stojakovic can be a real weapon from the outside, although his back gave him problems late last season, and that’s never a good sign. This off-season the Hornets traded C Tyson Chandler to Charlotte for Emeka Okafor (13 PPG, 10 RPG), the league’s Rookie of the Year just five seasons ago. And they grabbed super-quick PG Darren Collison with the 21st pick in the draft. New Orleans is a playoff-worthy team. But squeezed by financial considerations, the Hornets just don’t have the depth to beat the Lakers, Nuggets or Spurs in a playoff series.

(New Orleans Hornets +1800 to win the NBA championship at BetUS)

New Orleans Hornets 2009-2010 Season Preview – New Orleans Hornets 2009 Season Schedule

2009-2010 Houston Rockets Season Preview

Even with star forward Tracy McGrady missing 47 games, the Rockets posted their third-straight 50-win season last year, and won their first playoff series in more than a decade. Then, despite being shorthanded, they gave the eventual champion Lakers a good battle before falling in Game 7 of the conference semis. Houston ranked just 22nd in FG shooting but fifth in FG defense, in going 40-41 against the point spreads. But while Rockets games averaged 193 points, sixth-lowest in the league, the totals only trended toward the unders by a 42-40 margin. The interesting story last year, though, was how Houston went 33-14 straight up and 26-21 ATS without McGrady. This season, the story will be about how they fare without three key ingredients from last year. C Yao Ming (20 PPG, 10 RPG) will miss the entire season with a foot injury. McGrady has had knee and shoulder surgery since February, and he isn’t expected back until January at soonest. And the Rockets lost Ron Artest to the Lakers in free agency. To plug that hole, Houston signed F Trevor Ariza, who came up big a couple of times for the Lakers in their run to the league championship last spring. G Aaron Brooks is coming off a solid postseason, and will be expected to do more this year. C Luis Scola (13 PPG, 9 RPG) also played well down the stretch, and F Shane Battier is just solid all around. Houston is not the team they were last year, but even without McGrady and Ming they could make the playoffs again, especially if Phoenix continues to decline.

(Houston Rockets +1800 to win the NBA championship at BetUS)

Houston Rockets 2009-2010 Season Preview – Houston Rockets 2009 Season Schedule

2009-2010 Memphis Grizzlies Season Preview

From 2003 to 2006, the Grizzlies averaged 48 wins a season and made the playoffs three straight times. In the three seasons since then, they’ve averaged 23 wins, and haven’t been back to the postseason. Last year, while going young, they went 24-58, and dumped coach Marc Iavaroni in January, replacing him with Lionel Hollins. The Grizz went 13-26 after that, which was enough to keep Hollins around for this season. Memphis went 38-43 vs the point spreads last year, and as Grizzlies games averaged 193 points, seventh-fewest in the league, the totals went 3943. They also ranked in the bottom third in the league in all the shooting categories, and 25th in FG defense. And yet Memphis seems to have a nice collection of young talent. Third-year man Mike Conley plays the point, second-year pro OJ Mayo (18 PPG as a rookie) is the shooter, fourth-year vet Rudy Gay (19 PPG) is proving solid at SF and second year seven-footer Marc Gasol (12 PPG, 7 RPG) mans the middle. In a puzzling move, the Grizz traded for PF Zach Randolph (21 PPG, 10 RPG for Knicks and Clippers), who’s now the old man on this team at 28. Also, the latest draft brought them 7-foot-3 C Hasheem Thabeet (at #2 overall), F DeMarre Carroll at #27 and F Sam Young at #36, and all three may see action right away. The Grizzlies should win more than 24 games this year, although a return to the playoffs is iffy.