2024-25 Southwest Division Preview

 We are officially less than a week away from the start of the 2024-25 NBA season! To celebrate we are doing a brief preview of each division every day leading up to opening tip-off. We will discuss projected lineups and rotations, key players, and any question marks the team may have. For the projected lineups it is a prediction of the starters and the five bench players who will play most if each team has optimal health and success. These are mostly correlated to what is expected, but I sprinkled my own personal opinion in some situations. Any player with an asterisk is someone with a somewhat prolonged injury. Without further ado, here is the Southwest Division preview!

DALLAS MAVERICKS

G: Luka Doncic / Spencer Dinwiddie

G: Kyrie Irving / Jaden Hardy / Quentin Grimes

F: Klay Thompson / Naji Marshall

F: PJ Washington

C: Daniel Gafford / Dereck Lively

Player I Like: Naji Marshall

-A very underrated pickup this offseason, I think he is a perfect replacement for Derrick Jones Jr. A really good defender and I think he can offer more on offense than a lot of people will expect.

MVP: Luka Doncic

-He will often carry this team to wins by himself.

6MOY: Naji Marshall

-His defensive abilities on the wing will be vital to the Mavericks success this season.

X-Factor: Klay Thompson

-The spacing that Klay should provide for Luka will unlock Luka's playmaking even more, if that is somehow possible.

The Mavs will looks to make the Finals in back to back years, this time trying to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy. I think they navigated the offseason very well retooling. If they can get contributions from Hardy and Grimes I think you could see a potential top 3 seed in the cards.

HOUSTON ROCKETS

G: Fred VanVleet / Amen Thompson

G: Jalen Green / Reed Sheppard

F: Dillon Brooks / Cam Whitmore

F: Jabari Smith Jr / Tari Eason

C: Alperen Sengun / Steven Adams

Player I Like: N'Faly Dante

-He likely will only play in the G-League but the big man out of Oregon provides energy and good rebounding.

MVP: Alperen Sengun

-I think he is the best player on the roster, and is one of the most exciting players to watch with his unique skillset. His playmaking abilities will make the game easier for his teammates and if he can take another step shooting we could be looking at an All-Star season.

6MOY: Reed Sheppard

-One of the leading preseason candidates for ROY, Sheppard looks to be really good. A good shooter, and was a better ball handler and defender in the Summer League and preseason than people thought during draft time.

X-Factor: Jalen Green

-If he can make that star jump, that gives the Rockets a go to scorer on the perimeter.

Pros: The Rockets have tremendous depth

Cons: The Rockets depth consists of lots of good players, no great players

They undoubtedly have talent but I question if they have the talent to truly be able to compete with the best teams in the league for the entirety of the season and into the postseason.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

G: Ja Morant

G: Desmond Bane / Vince Williams Jr*

G: Marcus Smart / GG Jackson*

F: Jaren Jackson Jr / Santi Aldama / Jake LaRavia

C: Zach Edey / Brandon Clarke

Player I Like: Ja Morant

-I can't wait to see how Morant responds after the tumultuous last two seasons. I look to see him put the league back on notice.

MVP: Ja Morant

-Morant will remind people that he is a top player in this league.

6MOY: Vince Williams Jr

-When he comes back from injury, VWJ looks to build on his breakout season a year ago. An elite defender that will be relied on to guard some of the opposing teams best players, will look to provide good shooting and playmaking off the bench.

X-Factor: Zach Edey

-Edey should create tons of spacing on offense for Morant and Bane and should take pressure off Jaren Jackson, allowing him to roam more like he did in his DPOY campaign.

The Grizzlies have nowhere to go but up after a disastrous 2023-24 season. They do have the talent to compete in the league. My biggest question mark is their wing depth, especially with early season injuries already.

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

G: Dejounte Murray / Jose Alvarado

G: CJ McCollum / Jordan Hawkins

F: Brandon Ingram

F: Herb Jones / Trey Murphy III

F: Zion Williamson / Daneil Theis / Yves Missi

Player I Like: Jordan Hawkins

-One of the best shooting prospects I have ever seen coming out of the 2023 draft, I look to see him have his role expanded.

MVP: Zion Williamson

-When healthy and engaged Williamson is one of the most unstoppable forces in the league, and I look to see him have an All-NBA type season.

6MOY: Jordan Hawkins

-His shooting will be needed for the Pelicans bench to offer any threat.

X-Factor: Dejounte Murray

-They took a swing for Murray this offseason. If he can get back to his Spurs playing days form, then he will be a good addition for this team.

They have talent, but I question the roster construction. It has been reported they will play small, with Zion and Herb Jones playing the 'big' positions. I am curious to see how sustainable this is. Overall their depth is concerning, but they have enough pieces to maybe sneak into the playoffs.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

G: Chris Paul / Tre Jones

G: Devin Vassell* / Stephon Castle / Malaki Branham

F: Keldon Johnson

F: Jeremy Sochan / Harrison Barnes

C: Victor Wembanyama / Zach Collins

Player I Like: Harrison Ingram

-A player that makes winning plays, I can see him falling into Pop's good graces.

MVP: Victor Wembanyama

-The second year phenom looks poised to make another massive step into being the future face of the league.

6MOY: Tre Jones

-Jones will need to learn from CP3. I think by moving him to the bench it will relive Jones of a lot of responsibility and we will see him play with more freedom.

X-Factor: Chris Paul

-He is past his prime, but he is still a good player and one of the best facilitators of all time. I think this season with CP3 will be vital in the development of Wemby.

I simply have no expectations for the Spurs other than being bad. I'm not a huge believer in Vassell, Johnson, or Sochan and I don't think Wemby is quite ready enough to win games by himself just yet.